Harry Potter and the Body Thief
by rozisa
Summary: An AU. Harry wakes up after battling Voldemort chained to a bed and no one believing he's Harry. M for later chapters just to be safe since I originally wrote it for a slash site.
1. Firefly

Author's Notes: I had this posted in Silver Snitch for years. Then the site went down. I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Firefly**

He was in a body, not Quirrell's, and he was grounded in it. The pain in his head and the sluggishness of this body told him he was alive again. Something gold was glinting just above him - a firefly. He tried to swat it, but his arms were too heavy. He blinked. It was a pair of glasses. How odd. His vision was slightly blurry.

The smiling face of Albus Dumbledore swam into view above him. If he could raise his hands to fetch his wand, that face wouldn't be smiling.

"Good afternoon, Harry," said Albus.

He was in Harry's body. Making snide remarks about Albus's brother and goats wouldn't be appropriate. Amusing but not at all proper. He must play the part for now. "Sir, the Stone? It isn't still in my hand. I would guess it isn't on my bedside." That sounded like eleven-year-old boy. He received the highest marks of anyone attending Hogwarts. He'd be damned if he had to repeat all but his first year as a Gyffindor.

"Calm yourself, dear boy, you are a little behind the times," said Albus. "Quirrell does not have the Stone."

"Then who does?" What use did an eleven year old have for the Stone? Taking the Elixir of Life would probably make him eleven forever - what a horrid thought. He just wanted the Stone for safekeeping.

"Harry, please relax, or Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out."

Harry (He never liked the name Tom.) looked around the room and realised he was in the hospital wing. The old saying went "Any Tom, Dick or Harry." At least, he wasn't a Dick. He could learn to response to the name Harry. He was lying in a bed with white linen sheets and next to him was a table piled high with what looked like half a sweet-shop.

"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Albus, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a lavatory seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygienic and confiscated it."

"How long have I been in here?"

"Three days. Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will be most relieved you have come round, they have been extremely worried."

"Albus, the Stone?" Harry said a bit too loudly and he shouldn't have called the headmaster by his first name.

"I see you are not to be distracted. Very well, the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that, although you were doing well on your own, I must say."

"Where is Quirrell?" Harry wondered if the real Harry was in Quirrell's body or a spirit in the wind like he had been. The boy could still fulfil the prophecy and sharing a body with Quirrell would give the boy reason for revenge. Harry sat up and made a fist. This was his body. He wasn't leaving it, but he needed to know what became of the original occupant. Just because his name was Riddle didn't mean he liked them.

"Quirrell is in St. Mungos. He's recovering from second and third degree burns. The healers say his hair returned to the spot Voldemort's face was. Grew in overnight - pitch black - the oddest thing," explained Albus. "Voldemort is, perhaps, looking for another body to share."

You fool, you are talking to Voldemort. Harry wondered if that meant the original owner of this body was dead. "Is he going to teach next year?" asked Harry. "I mean, if he recovers from the burns."

"Harry, that isn't very likely," said Albus. "He'll be looking forward to spending time in Azkaban."

"The Stone!" Harry needed to watch his temper if he was going to play the part, but Albus was infuriating. That man couldn't stay on subject.

"The Stone has been destroyed."

An eleven-year-old boy had no use for the Philosopher's Stone. This worked out better than imaged. "Can I see Quirrell?"

"You are in no condition to go anywhere."

After Harry was back with the Dursleys, he would sneak out to see Quirrell. He needed to know if the original owner of this body was dead. He could be charming. The last time he was in Hogwarts, he was made Head Boy and left with Honours. No one traced him to the Basilisk. Dumbledore thought Hagrid was innocent, but even he couldn't figure out who the guilty party was. Albus, you are still a thorn in my side. He waved a hand to dismiss him.

Madame Pomfrey tapped Albus's shoulder. "Headmaster, Harry is getting tired. I think you should leave."

Poppy Pomfrey whispered to Albus. "I just received a third owl from St. Mungos. Quirrell is insisting he is Harry Potter."

"I just spoke to Harry Potter," said Albus.

"Is it possible that stone made them switch bodies?" whispered Poppy.

"Then I destroyed the Stone a bit hastily. Harry did call me Albus." Albus sat on a free bed and put a hand on his forehead. "Merlin, what have I done? Poppy, watch him. I'm going to St. Mungos."

"Did he say anything that indicated that he was Quirinus?" she continued to whisper.

"He called me by my first name and he was awful interested in the Stone and Quirrell. How could I destroy the Stone? That poor boy chained to a bed and the only way to get him back into his own body was destroyed."

A/N: The prologue and first few chapters are based upon the copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone that I bought in London back in 1999. : ) Yes, some of the dialogue is directly quoted from my copy. Why mess with greatness? The later chapters will have spoilers from Rowling's later books.


	2. St Mungos

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**St. Mungos**

Dumbledore entered the hospital room.

"Sir, what took you so long? I'm in awful pain and no one will let me see my face," Quirrell said.

"It's burned," said Dumbledore.

"The nurses say I'm tied up because I could remove the bandages and hurt myself," said Quirrell. He sounded like a frightened little boy. Then again, the man was afraid of his own shadow, but why pretend to be Harry? "Quirrell was burned; I wasn't."

"Who are you?" Dumbledore asked.

"Not you, too. I've been asked by several medi-wizards and a half dozen nurses. My answer isn't going to change."

"And you are?"

"Harry Potter." The man's eyes were pleading with Dumbledore. "I don't understand why people keep asking me that. Sir, I don't know how to say this with you being a gentleman and all, but I think touching that stone made me grow up."

"Harry, I need to ask you a few questions." Dumbledore went over to a nurse. "Could you release his binds? The boy is frightened."

"That boy was in He-who-must-not-be-named employ," whispered the nurse.

"That boy was in my employ," said Dumbledore. "I take responsibility."

The nurse undid the bandaged man's restrains and helped him sit up.

"My hands," said Quirrell.

"Are badly burned." said Dumbledore. "I will bind you again, if you try to take the bandages off."

Quirrrell brought a bandaged hand to his face. "My face is also bandaged. I don't understand how I got burned or why I am nearly as tall as you. Sir, what happened?"

"Answer my questions first," said Dumbledore.

Quirrell nodded.

"Where do you live?"

"4 Privet Drive, Surrey. The letters you sent me were addressed to Mr. H. Potter, The Cupboard under the Stairs, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey."

Dumbledore hugged the bandaged man in a hospital gown since Quirrell wouldn't have known about the letters. "Merlin, it's you, my boy," Dumbledore didn't want to hug him too hard; he was badly burned. That hair was the oddest thing. Quirrell's hair had been medium blond. Now instead of three days growth, the hair was collar-length, unruly and black - Harry's hair. Half the man's face was under bandages. Bandages covering burns caused by Harry's hands prevented Dumbledore from seeing if he had Harry's scar. Then again, Harry had his scar or whoever was in Harry's body.

Harry pushed Dumbledore off. "The nurses said I am growing new skin under the bandages. I mess with them and I could get scars."

Dumbledore back off. "I'm so sorry."

"Can I see Ron and Hermione?"

Dumbledore said, "I don't think that would be a good idea."

"I look like the mummy." Harry laughed.

"I'm glad you still have a sense of humour."

"It isn't too bad, except the being tied down part," said Harry. "My hands, face and arm were numb the first couple days I was here. That felt odd, but I guess it's better than the pain muggle burn patients have. The nurses feed me and everyone is real nice."

Dumbledore didn't want to tell the boy everyone was nice because they thought Harry was as mad as a hatter. "I'll talk to the nurse about letting you see your friends."

"I'm grown, aren't I?" asked Harry. "I probably look like my dad under the bandages."

Dumbledore didn't think he should be the one to tell him. The medical staff obviously didn't want him knowing who he was. They were probably scared they would have an irate patient of their hands if they shattered his delusions. They, like the students and staff at Hogwarts, knew Quirrell had been possessed by Voldemort and that couldn't have been good for what was left of his sanity. Dumbledore had the real Quirrell in the school infirmary and destroyed the only way to restore them to their own bodies.

Dumbledore helped him onto the bed. "You should rest. Let the medi-wizards do their job. You don't want scars."

"I don't like my voice much." Harry rested his head against the pillow. "This is going to sound terrible, but I sound a bit like Professor Quirrell."

Dumbledore put an arm on his shoulder. "Harry, I have some bad news for you. Somehow the Philosopher's Stone did something to you and Professor Quirrell. I didn't see you earlier because I thought Harry was sleeping in a bed in Hogwarts."

"I'm not bald with a face in the back of my head," said Harry, "because I can feel hair on head, so you must be mistaken."

"You have thick black hair. When Voldemort left, it grew back magically," said Dumbledore. "Son, I'm sorry."

"You get the Stone," said Harry. "I hold it in my hand and touch Quirrell. I pass out and we'll be back in our own bodies."

"Son, I destroyed the Stone."

"Only Neville can do something that stupid," Harry cried. "My mother should have let Voldemort kill me. I'm eleven years old and my life is over."

Dumbledore placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. "I just thought about one way we can get the Stone." He had to go back in time get the Stone and then return it. His past self would be none the wiser. He worried he would see him using the Stone to restore Harry and Quirinus in the mirror. He had to find someone who just wanted the Stone. Dumbledore went over to the nurse. "I just asked him some questions and I believe our patient to be Harry Potter."

"It's a game," said the nurse.

"Quirinus has a stutter," said Dumbledore. "He's a nervous little man. I talked to that boy and he is a Gryffindor lion."

The nurse said, "We can get an auror to give him veritaserum."

"You're not giving one of my students veritaserum." Dumbledore folded his arms across his chest.

Harry climbed down from the bed. "What is veritaserum?"

"Did you use your hands to climb out of bed?" asked the nurse.

"A little push," said Harry. "They aren't numb anymore. My face hurts like hell and no one told me not to talk."

"Your face was completely burnt off in spots. I don't know why the medi-wizards bothered. You don't have to look pretty for the dementors," the nurse said.

"What are dementors?" asked Harry.

"You will find out," said the nurse.

"I know a little Latin. You learn more Latin in first year Charms than spells. Hermione is the only one who can get her wand to work, so doing spells can get boring and f-frustrating. Veritas means truth. Truth serum." Harry stumbled a bit on the word "frustrating", but a single stutter didn't mean he was Quirrell pretending to be Harry.

"Miss Walker was already taken first year Charms," said Dumbledore, hoping the nurse missed the stutter.

Harry walked over to them. "I rather take second year Charms than go to prison."

"I'm sure Quirrell feels the same way," said Dumbledore, "And he isn't going to be eager for us to reverse the spell."

"If I wasn't looking forward to life in prison, I wouldn't go back to being Harry Potter," said Harry.

"Why not?" asked the nurse.

"Because everybody wants my autograph or to shake my hand or something. I don't see why I'm famous because I lived." Harry moved his hands as he talked, not appearing to know where to stick his bandaged hands, before he put them by his sides.

The nurse said, "He's a boy all right. Then your Quirinus is young. Twenty-seven, aren't you?"

"I don't know his birthday," said Harry. "Mine is July 31, 1980."

"Quirinus is a mouthful," said the nurse. "Do people call you Inus or Quirin?"

"Miss Walker, he isn't Professor Quirrell," said Dumbledore. "Harry had a magical item of untold power in his pocket when he touched Professor Quirrell. Harry's hands burned Quirrell and Harry passed out - an exchange of power must have taken place."

"I never saw hand-shaped burns before," said the nurse. "Do you have the magic item that caused this?"

"I destroyed it, but I plan to go back in time and get it," said Dumbledore.

"You stay with him and I'll tell the auror at the door to get some veritaserum." The nurse left the room.

Dumbledore and Harry were alone in the small private room. "Boy, we'll get this cleared up in no time." Dumbledore was annoyed at himself for making a time joke. This wasn't the place for levity. "You will be back in your own body and Professor Quirrell will be heading to prison."

"Why can't you go back in time and prevent me from switching bodies with Professor Qu-Qu-Quirrell," said Harry.

"You shouldn't do that," said Dumbledore.

"Quirinus Quirrell." Harry sat back down on the bed. "No wonder the poor man has a stutter. I prefer my name, Harry Potter. It's easy to spell and pronounce.'"

"You're Voldemort's lapdog," explained Dumbledore. "The other prisoners will be using you for their enjoyment."

"I saved the world from Voldemort a second time. I'm not scared of a few prisoners."

"Harry, you're young, slight and the part of your face that isn't under bandages isn't deformed," said Dumbledore. "They're going to be asking you how Voldemort felt inside you."

"I'm not Professor Quirrell." Harry cried, "He was never inside me."

Dumbledore realised the boy didn't understand the implied meaning to the sentence. He had to get Harry back to his own body. He was only going to be in St. Mungos until the bandages came off. Then he would be shipped off to Azkaban.


	3. Two Harries

**Two Harries**

Madam Pomfrey said, "Five minutes only," and let Ron and Hermione in. Hermione looked ready to fling herself around him, but _Harry_ was glad she held herself in, as his head was still very sore.

Hermione said, "Oh, Harry, we were sure you were going to - Dumbledore was so worried-"

"The whole school's talking about it," said Ron. "What really happened?"

_Harry_ put a hand to his head. "I rather not talk about it. My head hurts a bit."

"It can wait," said Ron. "So the Stone's gone? Flamel's just going to die?"

_Harry_ just looked at Ron. He couldn't care less if Flamel lived or died. _Harry_ needed to know who was in Quirrell's body. "People die. Why should he have the Philosopher's Stone and no one else?"

"I guess something like that should be shared," said Ron. "Flamel using it for just his wife and himself is a bit selfish. I got five brothers and one sister, so I know more about sharing than I care to."

"So what happened with you two?" _Harry_ figured the real Harry would be polite and ask his friends how they managed.

"Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round - that took a while - and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the Entrance Hall. He already knew - he just said, 'Harry's gone after him, hasn't he?' and hurtled off to the third floor."

"D'you think he meant you to do it?" said Ron. "Sending your father's cloak and everything?"

"Well," Hermione exploded, "if he did - I mean to say - that's terrible - you could have been killed."

_Harry_ said, "He's an manipulative old man. You don't get to be his age if you aren't crafty."

Hermione said, "I suppose. The three of us almost didn't make it to our second year. That chess game and Ron sacrificing himself - I thought he was a goner - that took years off my life then you nearly didn't make it."

"You'd still rather be expelled?" asked Ron.

Hermione looked at him a second then said, "I'm not sure. I get expelled my parents will kill me, so I'm dead either way."

"Listen, you've go to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow," said Ron "The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course - you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrolled by Ravenclaw without you - but the food'll be good."

_Harry_ could feel his stomach growl. "Mate, could you give me something from that pile? You had to bring up food."

At the moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over. "You've had nearly ten minutes, now OUT."

xxxx

In Quirrell's private room in St. Mungos, the nurse finally returned. "I've talked to the Ministry. They'll have someone come over tomorrow after the bandages are off. The other prisoners will think you're real pretty."

"Girls are pretty," said the real Harry.

"That black hair is so thick no one would know you've got scars shaped like a man's face under it and you're young and on the small side," said the nurse. "You've the closest a some of those prisoners have seen to a girl."

Harry wanted to take the bandages off his hands and feel the back of his head for those scars. He couldn't believe this was happening. He wanted to wake up and be in his own body. Dumbledore said he could get the Stone back, but travelling back in time couldn't be easy or he would have stopped his parents from dying. Perhaps he was lucky his hands were wrapped. As long as he didn't touch those scars, he could pretend this wasn't real for another second. Harry brought his wrapped hands to his face and cried.

Dumbledore got in the nurse's face. "He's Harry Potter. Even if Professor Quirrell had access to Harry's personal information and was able to give the correct answers to the questions I asked him, Quirrell would have understood my implied meaning to a comment I made about the other prisoners. Even a nancy, I believe that's what the my students call each other in the halls, would subconsciously cringe at the thought of another man sodomizing him without preparation."

"The auror doesn't leave the door until the veritaserum proves he's Harry Potter," said the nurse.

Dumbledore said, "Son, I'll be back tomorrow. You don't want to take those bandages off alone. Once we get you out of here, we'll see about getting you in your own body."

"Thanks," said Harry. Dudley and his friends called each other nancies among other things, but Harry didn't know what they meant by the insult. If he ever got home, he would have to ask Dudley a few questions. After Dumbledore left, Harry said, "Miss Walker, I know you don't believe me. You think I'm faking so I can go to a mental hospital, instead of prison, but I'm scared."

She moved a chair close to the bed and put an arm around his shoulders. "Harry, for what it is worth, I believe you. You seem like a sweet boy. I have to bind you to leave the room."

Harry lied down flat on the bed. "I understand."

Miss Walker kissed his forehead. After she stood up, she bound his feet and hands to the bed. "I am really sorry. The night nurse will give you something to help you sleep."

xxxx

Madame Pomfrey stopped Hagrid when she saw he had a photo album. She took him to a room with a privacy screen, so _Harry_ couldn't hear. "Hagrid, a patient in St. Mungos would like to see whatever is in that album."

"I've gotta present fer Harry," said Hagrid.

"That isn't Harry," Pomfrey whispered although she knew _Harry_ couldn't hear through the screen. "The real Harry is in St. Mungos. We believe that is Professor Quirrell in that bed."

"He looks like Harry," said Hagrid.

"Albus sent me an owl from St. Mungos. He's talked to the real Harry. He's getting his bandages off today. He could use a friend." Madame Pomfrey put a hand on the half-giant. "Rubeus, don't let on to Quirinus that you know he isn't Harry. We need him to stay at Hogwarts until Dumbledore can get Harry out. Today is the leaving feast. There isn't much time."

"Wouldn' it look odd if I left without sayin' hello?" said Hagrid.

Pomfrey fingered the album. "Say hello; I'll hold the album." She wrapped the album in her arms and let down the screen. She watched as Hagrid spoke to_ Harry_. Hagrid patted _Harry's_ head before saying good-bye. Good Hagrid didn't let on.

-  
A/N: Sections of the Hermione and Ron's dialogue were written by Rowling in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I do not claim credit for Rowling's work. I have tried to put my own humble words around hers. How well have I cut and pasted my AU around the original? Please, write me and let me know. As the story drifts further from the original story, I will be doing this less and less.

I italicized Harry for the fake Harry. Since Quirrel died, it's Voldemort in that body but Dumbledore and Pomfrey don't know that, yet.


	4. The Photo Album

**The Photo Album**

Seeing Dumbledore and Hagrid arrived at St. Mungos together, Harry ran over to hug Hagrid. The half-giant back away.

Harry showed his unbandaged hands. "See five fingers on each hand. No scars. The morning nurse took the dressings off so I could feed myself. She says as long as someone is in the room I don't need to be tied to the bed."

"Yeh're Harry?" Hagrid said not approaching the young man.

"In the flesh." Harry smiled. "Or Professor Quirrell's flesh, so I've been told. I'm too scared to check the back of my head for scars shaped like a face. Please, don't be scared of me."

Hagrid sat down on the only chair in the room that would fit him. "How do I know yeh are Harry?"

"Because Headmaster Dumbledore knows I'm Harry." Harry remembered how Hagrid felt about Dumbledore. "Remember when we met Professor Quirrell, you told me he was a brilliant bloke - had some trouble with vampires and a hag and wasn't the same since. He was nervous and trembling. I'm probably going to spend the rest of my life in Azkaban for crimes I didn't commit and not a stutter."

Hagrid said, "I don' know."

"You were the one who showed me magic. You gave Dudley a pig's tail. You said that you were aiming to change him to a pig, but he was pretty close to one already." A tear rolled down Harry's cheek, wetting the bandages.

Hagrid put the photo album that was under his arm on his lap. "I got yeh a present." It appeared to be a handsome, leather-covered book. "Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos - knew yeh didn't have any - D'yeh like it?"

Harry cried again. "I'm going to get these bandages so wet they're going to have to come off early."

Dumbledore said, "I see you two are getting along. I have a philosopher's stone to get. Hagrid, you stay with him while he gets the bandages off."

"O' course, Sir," said Hagrid.

"The good thing about a time-turner is I can return before I leave. I'll be back in no time." With that Dumbledore turned what looked like an ordinary pocket watch back and disappeared.

"It's all my ruddy fault," Hagrid sobbed with his face in his large hands. "I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn't know an' I told him! Yeh now stuck in Quirrel's body and be goin' to Azkaban in his place. All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!"

"Hagrid!" said Harry, shocked to see Hagrid shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down into his beard. "Hagrid, he'd have found out somehow, this is Voldemort, we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you hadn't told him."

"I ruined yehr life," Hagrid sobbed, cluttering the leather album. "I did. I got ter go fer three years - Yeh only got one."

"I'm going to take veritaserum and the aurors will realise I didn't commit any crime." Harry sat on his bed. "The nurses and you know I'm not dangerous. They let me walk around my room. I even used the toilet alone. Professor Quirrell met up with some vampires, right?"

"Yeah," Hagrid put the album on the sill behind him and got up to hug Harry. "I'm so sorry."

Harry hugged him back. "Thanks for seeing me."

"I met with the other Harry. I talked ter him about his cousin Dudley - the lean one on the swim team. He agreed with everythin' - knew he wasn't yeh." Hagrid continued to hold the smaller man in his arms.

Harry said, "I'm still a bit sore."

Hagrid went back to the oversized chair. "Sorry."

"You have to stop apologising. Well, I've been thinking. Quirrell ran into to some vampires and vampires can't hurt someone without a body. Voldemort must have rescued Quirrell at a cost."

"I wish yeh wouldn't say his name."

"I met with him twice, he killed my parents, his bloody face etched into my scalp. I can say his name all I want." Harry put a hand back there and felt along his scalp under his hair. He had so much hair; it was hard to feel anything. Finally, he felt a slit and another - they must have been eyes. He returned to feeling his scalp - two very small indentations close together - nostrils. More - a rough crease of skin - mouth. "Oh, my God, I'm Quirrell."

"Yehr hair covers it," said Hagrid.

Harry put his hands over his eyes. He didn't care if he touched the bandages - they were wet and were coming off in less than an hour. "It's real. I felt it."

"This is my fault. If I didn't tell him about Fluffy, yeh'd still be yeh."

"The Philosopher's Stone is supposed to make gold and extend life. No one ever switched bodies before."

"Yeh think this switchin' bodies is You-Know-Who's fault," said Hagrid.

"It's possible and if it is - he's gone and I'm stuck in Quirrell's shell. I go to Azkaban and Voldemort wins. He failed at killing me, so he found another way to get rid of me."

"Dumbledore will get yeh back in yehr own body."

"You have a lot of faith in Dumbledore."

"You need to have faith, too."

"I'm going to be twelve next month."

"When I was expelled from Hogwarts my third year, I thought my life was over. I wasn't goin' ter tell yeh, but I think yeh should know. I was also framed fer a crime I didn't commit. Headmaster Dippet thought I let loose a basilisk."

Harry leaned forward in his hospital bed. "Which is?"

"A serpent like creature than can turn people into stone with its gaze." Hagrid must have read that from a textbook.

"And you didn't set this basilisk free?" Harry looked at the large man. "You did hatch a dragon egg. You do have a thing for dangerous creatures."

"I didn't do it," said Hagrid. "I know how it looks. Dumbledore believed me an' let me stay on as groundskeeper."

"You didn't do it; you didn't do it." Harry lied down and put his head on the pillow. "Why can't the medi-wizard get here already?" He would have to work on his patience because it looked like he would be spending the rest of his life in a prison cell. "What's Azkaban like?"

"The dementors run the place; they drain the happiness out o' people," Hagrid said. "Awful place."

"A prison isn't going to be a nice place." Harry looked at the white hospital ceiling. "I wonder how Dumbledore is going to get Quirrell here."

"The other Harry wants to visit yeh. Dumbledore will arrange it. Yeh will have the Stone in hand and back yeh go ter yehr own bodies."

"A nice thought." Harry continued to look at the ceiling.

"I close me eyes and I'm talkin' ter Harry."

"I sound different."

"Not really. Let's say: I changed bodies an' had this small high-pitch voice. Yeh would know it was me."

"Hagrid, you have a unique accent."

"So do yeh, my friend," said Hagrid. "Quirrell sounds like Quirrell and yeh sound like yeh."

"And Quirrell pretending to be me?"

"Sounds nervous - overly polite, can get curt - he has first year boy down then he teach yeh."

"Then Ron and Hermione know he's not me."

"They might think yeh acting strange. Don't know."

The medi-wizard came in. "Quirinus, I'm going to have the nurse hand you a mirror after I remove the bandages. Let's see if I made any improvements to your ugly mug."

The nurse stood by the door, giving the medi-wizard his space.

"The boy's bin through enough," said Hagrid.

"Sucking up to You-Know-Who can be hard on a chap," said the medi-wizard. "Hagrid, I'll make you a deal. You hold him and I won't use magic to restrain him."

Harry stood up. "Hagrid, I'll sit on your lap and you can hold me."

"Harry, come here." Hagrid cried, again.

Harry sat on Hagrid's lap then felt the big man's arms embrace him. "At least, you didn't apologise, again. You cry, I cry and the medi-wizard can't do his job."

"Hagrid, you don't believe the balderdash he's been feeding everyone about being Harry Potter." The medi-wizard put his bag on the hospital stand.

Harry put up his hand to prevent Hagrid from talking. He recalled a scene from Star Trek. He didn't see the show from his cupboard, but he heard it often enough. "I'm Quirinus Quirrell. However, what makes Harry Potter Harry is here." Harry pointed to his head. He seemed to recall Kirk saying something similar in the last episode of series.

"That's an awful insightful thing for an eleven year old to say," said the medi-wizard. "Quirinus, the insane act isn't going to keep you out of Azkaban. Hagrid, hold him still for me. I usually do a spell to numb the face but a little pain might do Quirinus good."

Hagrid held Harry as the surgical tape was being removed while Harry closed his eyes and braced himself against the pain. Then it was over. Harry's eyes were still closed when he heard the nurse's footsteps on the hospital floor.

"Mr. Quirrell, you need to open your eyes," said the nurse.

Hagrid, still holding him, said in a soft voice, "Harry, I'm here."

Harry opened his eyes. The nurse was holding a mirror. The new skin was smooth and it even had two or three days' worth of stubble. Harry wasn't sure which because he never needed to shave before. His eyebrows were a bit strange. The hair that was there from before was brown and the newly grown hair was black. Harry didn't want to look in the mirror anymore. His nose was short, part of the cartilage must had burned away and his left cheek was partially sunken it. "My cheek?"

The medi-wizard said, "I grew the skin. Under normal circumstances, I would tell you that you can have the bones regrown at a later date, but I don't think the Ministry would deem cosmetic procedures necessary for the a dangerous prisoner's well-being."

Hagrid said, "Harry's missing part o' his face. It isn't a nose job."

Harry, seeing Dumbledore enter the room, jumped off Hagrid's lap. He wanted to look proper for his headmaster and sitting on someone's lap like a kitten or a two year old wouldn't do. "Is the auror here?"

"Yes, I spoke to him and he agreed for you to see your guest first," said Dumbledore. "I need to help Professor Quirrell dress. Could you give us some privacy?"

"Nurse?" the medi-wizard.

She looked at him and they left the room together.

-  
A/N: Hagrid's "I got yeh a present." speech is Rowling's. Also part of "all my ruddy fault" is. The rest of the story is AU. I hope I blended Hagrid's dialogue well enough that Rowling's words don't stand out too much from mine. Reviews are welcome. I love that the med-wizard hasn't seen _Star Trek_ and doesn't realise that Harry is paraphrasing Kirk.


	5. Veritaserum

A/N: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

**Veritaserum**

Dumbledore took some clothes out that he had hidden in his robes. Harry dressed in Quirrell's clothes, expect for the purple turban. He struggled with the tie but managed. Dumbledore straightened it for him.

"The turban, too," said Dumbledore. "Your black hair may give you away. Quirrell was a blond."

"Was?" asked Harry.

"Professor Quirrell now has raven black hair." Dumbledore smiled. He had that twinkle in his eyes.

"I don't know how to tie a turban," Harry admitted.

"I'll do it. Sit on a chair." As he was doing Harry's turban, Dumbledore dropped the Stone in a robe pocket and whispered, "Harry, try to sound like Quirrell and apologise for what happened in the dungeon. Say you were under Voldemort's power."

"Why?" asked Harry. "He knows who he is."

"There were three wizards fighting for two bodies when the exchange took place," Dumbledore whispered. "Voldemort might be using your body and we can't having him knowing you're alive."

Harry wanted to nod but figured he should wait until Dumbledore finished tying the turban.

Dumbledore finished fixing the turban. "You ready?"

Harry nodded.

Dumbledore left the room and returned with their guest. Seeing himself with Dumbledore was creepy to say the least.

Harry stood up, approached his guest and offered his hand. "I'm s-s-sorry that I attacked you in the d-d-dungeon. I was under Lord Voldemort's power. I'd like us to be friends."

The other _Harry_ shook his hand then screamed, "He's burning me," then let go. "I want to go back to Hogwarts. The leaving feast is tonight."

It was no good. Harry felt a pain shoot through his scar last time. He didn't feel any pain this time. No scar - no transfer was going to take place. He was trapped in Quirrell's body permanently, besides he didn't feel comfortable burning his own hand, even if someone else was using it at the time. Harry just wanted to go to the lavatory and vomit.

Harry looked at his hand. "I'm so s-s-sorry," he said, remembering to stutter.

Dumbledore said, "Hagrid, take our guest back to Hogwarts. I want to be with Quirrell while he's interrogated."

"Yes, Sir," said Hagrid. "Come on, Harry."

Hagrid and the other _Harry_ left the hospital.

Harry sat on the bed. "It failed."

Dumbledore said, "I need to replace the Stone before my earlier self finds anything amiss."

Harry gave Dumbledore the Stone. "What now?"

"The veritaserum will prove you have no memory of committing the acts you have been accused of and we take it from there." Dumbledore pocketed the Stone then pushed the call button for the nurse.

The nurse and the auror came in. The auror was a wild looking man with long grey hair and a roaming eye, which was odd because the other eye wasn't roaming. He looked out of place in a three-piece suit and robe. The only men Harry had seen with such scars and hair were homeless drunks. At least, the flask was a nice touch.

"Auror Moody, the patient is well enough to be given veritaserum. I must stay here while you administer it, in case, he has a reaction," explained the nurse.

"Acceptable," said Moody. "Please, take a chair. Just don't crowd me while I'm doing my work. Dumbledore, could you, please, leave? As his employer, you are hardly an impartial witness."

"Professor Quirrell wishes I stay," said Dumbledore.

"I'm here to get the truth - not to accommodate the prisoner." Moody looked at the nurse's nametag. "Miss Clarkson can be my witness. Dumbledore, I trust you to be unbiased, but the events in question happened at your school."

Dumbledore put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'll be right outside the door."

"I want the truth to come out," said Harry. "I have nothing to hide."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Relax and don't fight the serum."

"Good-bye, Sir." Harry watched Dumbledore leave.

Moody sat down then pushed his chair near the bed. "Your employer left. He's under the mistaken belief you acted under Imperius. I believe that you willingly served your master and I'm here to prove it." Moody took out a small vial and a dropper. "Three drops under the tongue."

Harry opened his mouth as Moody administered the serum.

Moody said, "Professor Quirrell, could you state your name for the record?"

Harry didn't answer because answering to Quirrell would be lying.

Moody said, "State your name."

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

The nurse said, "He's been insisting he's Harry Potter since he arrived."

"I am asking the questions," said Moody. "You do realise that you don't look like Mr. Potter. Can you explain this inconsistency?"

"I appear to be in Professor Quirrell's body," said Harry. "I touched Quirrell and I was in this pain. I grabbed onto his arm and refused to let go. The pain was horrible then I passed out. The next thing I knew I was fading in and out of consciousness on a stretcher."

"Before you touched Quirrell and were in pain, what happened?"

"I looked in the Mirror of Erised and the Philosopher's Stone appeared in my pocket. I heard this voice yell at Quirrell to get the Stone and I saw this hideous face on the back of Quirrell's head."

"A hideous face?" Moody asked.

"Voldemort's. He was using unicorn blood to stay alive; not that being on the back of someone's head is much of a life. He's gone now, but I have the scars. I touched them."

"Do you think he could come back?"

"I don't know, Sir."

"It's my job to keep that from happening." Moody smiled at him, but his eye - the roaming one - was looking up and down like it could see through his head to the scars on the other side.

"I'm frightened, Sir. I can't go home looking this way and I can't do Professor Quirrell's job with only one year of schooling. What is going to happen to me?"

"Does Dumbledore know you're Harry?"

"I'm not Harry. I'm Quirrell. I just saw myself in the mirror. I hate this serum." Harry put his hands over his face. "Quirrell's face."

"The serum will wear off in about an hour," said Moody. "Can I ask you some personal questions to confirm your identity?"

"Ask, but I rather you didn't." Harry was a bit embarrassed he said that, then he was under truth serum and weird things kept coming out of his mouth.

"Young man, do you have any friends?"

"Yes." Harry smiled. He made plenty of friends in Hogwarts.

"Can you name me your best friend?"

"Ron Weasley. He's a great chess player and he knows all about wizard things. Since I grew up in a muggle home, I'm quite ignorant in such matters. He's quite thorough in explaining things. He told me all about Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans."

"I see." Moody wrote something on his parchment. "Do you believe Quirrell is in your body?"

"I'm not sure. Headmaster Dumbledore believes Voldemort might be in my body. See, when the exchange took place, there were three wizards present and only two bodies. Voldemort and I are both powerful wizards and Quirrell called himself weak."

"Why do you say you are powerful?"

"Because Mr. Ollivander implied I was when I got my wand," said Harry. "I have a phoenix feather like Voldemort. Mr. Ollivander said Voldemort did great things and I will do great things. I don't think I will - being sent off to Azkaban at eleven and all."

"I will see what I can do," said Moody.

"Thank you, Sir." Harry smiled weakly - a nervous smile. "I'm glad I didn't put my hand in his mouth or I would be missing some teeth. As it is, I'm missing part of my nose and my left cheekbone."

"Skele-Gro can fix you right up," said Moody. "Nurse, see if you can get your patient some Skele-Gro."

"Auror Moody, I can't leave you alone with the patient until he is properly checked out," said the nurse. "You will have to come with me. I can send Dumbledore in to keep you company until the serum wears off."

"Thank you." Harry wanted to hide under the thin hospital blanket until the serum was out of his system.

Nurse Clarkson told Dumbledore he could go back in as Moody left. Harry took off the turban and black robes and slid under the blanket. Dumbledore would be leaving for Hogwarts soon and Harry would be alone, again.

Dumbledore took the blanket off of Harry's face. "What's wrong, son?"

"I said weird things under the veritaserum like I had no control of what came out of my mouth."

"It works like that. That's why I didn't want you taking it." Dumbledore rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. "How did it go with Moody?"

"I'm not sure. I told him about my best friend Ron and about Mr. Ollivander and I getting a phoenix feather in my wand and when Quirrell and I battled," said Harry. "His eye travelled around while we were talking. It's distracting and eerie."

"It's a magic eye. He lost his real eye in the wizard war." Dumbledore patted Harry's shoulder. "All is not lost, my boy. As they say: try, try again.'

"Or die trying." Harry moped.

"Things have a way of working out."

"They didn't work out for my parents."

"Harry, I can't go back in time and save your parents. Time travel doesn't work that way. I would like to stay with you until the aurors come to a decision on what to do with you until you can be arraigned, but duty calls. Don't give the nurses too much trouble."

After Dumbledore made his good-byes, Harry hid under the blanket. He didn't even get back to sleep when Miss Walker, the evening nurse, came in with a large bottle labelled Skele-Gro.

"Mr. Potter, this stuff is going to burn going down." She poured out a steaming beakerful and handed it to him. "Regrowing bones is nasty business." So was taking Skele-Gro. It burned Harry's mouth and throat as it went down, making him cough and splutter. The nurse handed him some water to wash it down. "You are very lucky Auror Moody ordered the potion. We can now keep you in hospital for two more days."

Harry said nothing - fearing he was still under that truth serum.

"Would you like to get into a hospital gown? You can't be comfortable sleeping in your street clothes."

Harry nodded. Harry stayed silent as the nurse gave him a gown from a drawer under the bed. He looked at the nurse and she didn't move. Finally, he spoke, "Could you, please, turn your head? I have adult parts, and seeing I was a boy a few days ago, I'm not all that comfortable looking at them myself." Great, that blasted truth serum.

"You can keep your Y-fronts on."

"Thank you," said Harry.

The nurse put his turban and robe in a wardrobe. "Miss Clarkson said the other Harry was here to see you. It didn't work out, did it?"

"I'd like to be alone in my misery until this serum wears off. My mouth goes off without my brain engaged. It's upsetting."

"Then I will let you rest. Your face is going to hurt like blazes in a few hours. If you think you might touch it, I could restrain you, so you won't disfigure yourself."

Harry undressed to his Y-fronts then put on his hospital gown. He climbed onto the bed and lied down. "Restrain me." That stupid potion knew he was worried about touching his face.

The nurse did his arms and legs. She took a couple straps from under the bed and fastened his head, so he couldn't move it. "I'm sorry, but I need a medi-wizard's order to do a Body-Bind. Since your chart says you are to go to Azkaban to await trail, I'm not to do any unauthorized spells on you."

The way his head was fastened he couldn't talk. Then again, his bones would probably grow wrong if he moved his head too much. With that truth serum in him, not talking was probably a good thing.

"Goodnight, Mr. Potter." Miss Walker neatly put his clothes in the wardrobe before turned off the light and exiting the room.

At least, when he was tied up before, his head could move. Harry closed his eyes and, somehow, fell asleep, but that didn't last long. A pain like his face was on fire kept him awake most of the night. He cried in the dark. He wanted to be in Hogwarts in his own body. He could imagine Hermione and Ron were having a great time at the leaving feast totally unaware that someone else was in Harry's body.

-  
A/N: The only direct quotes from Rowling are about Skele-Grow. They will become less and less as the story departs from hers and grows more AU.


	6. Cool as a Cucumber

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Cool as a Cucumber**

Harry must have fell back asleep because he woke to find his face was no longer in pain and Miss Clarkson releasing his binds.

"Mr. Quirrell, your breakfast is here."

Harry had oatmeal, sausage, scones and tea. "Thank you."

"I'll leave you to your meal," said the nurse.

Harry buttered his scones. "You heard me tell Mr. Moody that I'm Harry Potter."

"Yes, and you told him later than you are Mr. Quirrell. If you don't know who you are, then how do you expect me to know?" The nurse sat down on a chair away from the bed and took out a book to read.

Harry pushed the food tray to one side, climbed out of bed and walked over to her. "I'm very thankful that you and Miss Walker are taking care of me. My body was possessed by Voldemort and no one can tell me that he won't come back. That must be very scary for you."

"Mr. Quirrell, eat your meal before it gets cold."

Harry walked back to his bed, sat down and returned to his breakfast. He wasn't going to get breakfast like this in Azkaban. After he cleared his tray, he walked over to the nurse. "I sorry I scare you. I don't know if I'm Harry Potter or Quirinus Quirrell. I do know that until I went down to the Hogwarts' dungeons I was Harry Potter."

"You're very brave."

"Thank you. Hagrid told me I was this famous wizard and made it sound like I had this grand life ahead of me. Now I'm going to Azkaban."

"Moody knows you weren't in this body when the crimes were committed. Things will work out. You're a good looking man and you have your whole life ahead of you."

"Minus fifteen years. I'm almost twelve and Quirrell is twenty-seven."

"Dumbledore is over a century and a half. How old do you think your friend Hagrid is?"

"Thirty-something; forty-three at the oldest." Harry never really thought about Hagrid's age. "He doesn't have any grey hair and he isn't the sort to dye."

"He attended Hogwarts in the 40's." Miss Clarkson smiled. "I know because I attended soon after."

Harry did the math. Hagrid must have been in his 60's.

"See. Fifteen years doesn't matter all that much. Dumbledore isn't going to expel you from Hogwarts for something that isn't your fault. You can still play Quidditch. It isn't like you're any stronger than a seventeen year old boy."

"Everyone there will see me as Professor Quirrell. They aren't going to understand that I don't remember being him."

"Why don't you owl your friends? You can tell them you are in St. Mungos healing a few broken bones." Miss Clarkson smiled.

"They're on the Hogwarts Express with the other Harry."

"I'll make sure they don't receive their owls until they're safely home." Miss Clarkson took a quill and parchment from one of the many drawers in the room. She set them on his dresser near his pitcher of water. She then took the breakfast tray out of his room. He was writing to Ron when she got back.

_Ron,_

_I'm at St. Mungos. I'm mending a couple broken bones. I'm listed in the registrar as Quirinus Quirrell. Don't ask. You'll understand when you get here. I would really like it if you can have Hermione visit with you._

_Harry Potter_

The following morning, Miss Clarkson announced, "Hagrid is visiting and your other friends received owls. You have to get dressed."

Harry put on the only clothes he had the brown suit Dumbledore brought him. Obviously, pilfered from Quirrell's wardrobe. He fixed his tie using the lavatory mirror. "I'm not wearing the turban. That was the last person who used this body idea of a fashion statement, not mine."

Miss Clarkson ran a comb through his hair.

"Won't help," said Harry. "Magically grown hair. It goes how it wants. My magic - didn't come with the body." Harry looked at his face - his face. The nose was healed. His cheek still drooped. Skele-Gro grew bone. His hand must have burned away some of his facial muscles. Half his face looked nice and the sunken cheek didn't affect his ability to smile. "I didn't look at my face all yesterday and I only glanced in the mirror briefly the day before. I expect to see Harry in the mirror."

"You are Harry," said the nurse. "This is what Harry looks like now. Dumbledore is a pretty smart man. He may find a way to get you back into your old body."

"I have Voldemort's face on the back on my head. My hair magically covers it, but I know it's there. How do I get over that?"

"There are people in St. Mungo's missing limbs or dying of terminal ailments. Mr. Moody lost an eye. You go on." Miss Clarkson handed him a razor. "Do you want to do it hand over hand? Or you can watch me then try."

"I'll watch you." Harry only nicked his face once before getting the hang of it. Dressed, clean-shaven, ready to start the day, he left the washroom. "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to Azkaban to await my arraignment. I keep hoping I'll wake up and be in my own body."

"You shouldn't talk that way. No one is using this body, except you."

"Until Voldemort decides to show up for a return engagement."

"Please, don't talk like that," said the nurse. "I cringe every time you say his name."

"A week ago, I never heard of Azkaban and didn't know what an arraignment was. I'm not even twelve years old. My aunt and uncle have a stranger in their house they think is I. They're the only family I have."

"He kills them or mains them and he blows his cover."

"If Quirrell is in my body, then he knows I'm in his. If Voldemort is in my body, I don't want to think about it." A shiver ran up Harry's spine. "Even Dudley doesn't deserve that."

"I'm sorry," said Miss Clarkson. "I didn't think about that. You sent your friends letters. Can you can Muggle post them a letter and warn them? Or will the fake Harry intervene?"

"They never let me touch any letters before, but they may not know _Harry_ isn't allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts."

"They were posted."

"I'll write the letter then they won't know it's from you nor will _Harry_."

"Post it from your house. I don't want it traced to St. Mungos."

Miss Clarkson kissed his cheek. "Will do. Hagrid will be here soon. I can get you some books to pass the time. The auror by the door won't let the library cart lady in the room."

"I rather you stay here and I can read Witch Weekly and The Daily Prophet." Harry went over to his dresser and got the papers they delivered to his room this morning. "I can see if there is news about my arraignment." Then he climbed onto his bed to read.

Hagrid arrived just after Harry finished lunch. "It's good ter see yeh dressed."

"I would ask you to get me more clothes, but I'm leaving for Azkaban in the morning, and they will have my clothes all picked out." Harry tried to smile at his own levity, but it wasn't really funny.

"Dumbledore will speak at yehr arraignment. Yeh won't be prison more than a few days."

"Then I'll have you get me clothes when I'm a free man."

"Harry, will do."

"Can you check on my family? I'm worried that the fake Harry will kill them in their sleep, I mean, if he is Voldemort. He has something personal against me. He wants me in prison and he killed the rest of my family."

"I ask Dumbledore ter arrange to get _Harry_ out o' 4 Privet Drive. Yeh have me word on it."

"Thanks. I'm afraid for you now. He knows Cousin Dudley isn't a lean mean swimming machine."

"I can handle meself."

"You told me how Voldemort killed off whole families. How did _Harry_ act after he left here?"

"Cool as a cucumber."

"He's Voldemort," said Harry. "Quirrell would be all trembling and stuttering after seeing someone else in his body. Seeing the other_ Harry_ had me freaked."

The auror wouldn't let Ron and Hermione past the door. Hermione appeared to be arguing with the auror. Hand it to Hermione. Miss Walker went over to them as Hagrid blocked their view of Harry with his large body.

"One of you has to go," said the evening nurse, Miss Walker. "According to his chart, Mr. Potter can only have two guests at a time unless one or more are solicitors. Then he can have three. Do either of you have law degrees?"

"I don't," said Ron. "Hermione, do you have one?"

"Not yet," said Hermione. "Give me a few years."

Hagrid went over to Ron; his large body blocked Ron from seeing Harry. So Hagrid was smarter than he let on, just a bit naive. "Hermione, yeh can visit with Harry first. Ron, second."

Hermione entered the room. "Why is Professor Quirrell in Harry's bed?"

"Because I'm in Professor Quirrell's body." Harry looked up from the magazine he was reading in bed. "It's my body now. I have to keep telling myself that."

"If you're Harry, then who is the boy that the Dursleys picked up at King's Cross?" asked Hermione.

"Our best guest is Voldemort," said Harry. "I tried to get my body back from him and failed. He isn't likely to give me a second chance. I wanted to see you and Ron one last time before I go to Azkaban."

"Hagrid, is he Harry?" Hermione didn't approach the bed.

"Yeh close yehr eyes an' listen ter his voice."

Harry sat up in his bed. "You didn't believe me until I mentioned Dudley having a tail."

Hermione climbed onto the bed. "Dudley had a tail. Do tell."

"I heard the story. I was there. Let me get Ron." Hagrid went to the door.

"Well, Hagrid came to this cottage in the middle of a lake. The Dursleys hid me there because all these owls were coming to our house. It was pouring rain and a great boom happened," said Harry. "Like a cannon went off. You can't tell anyone in Hogwarts."

"Our secret," said Hermione.

Ron screamed, "That's Professor Quirrell."

"Shut up, Ron," said Hermione. "Harry is telling me how Dudley got his tail."

"Ron, I'm Harry." Harry touched a black lock. "This is my hair. Quirrell was a blond. Ask Fred or George. Don't. By the time you get around to it, I'll be in Azkaban. I'm being released from St. Mungos in the morn."

"And I care," said Ron.

"Listen." Harry sat up, although his adult body liked having Hermione cuddled beside him. He was an adult and she was a child, but his prick had a mind of its own. "You act like I want Voldemort in my house finishing the job. He killed my parents and my aunt and uncle think he's me."

"If you're Harry, then where is Quirrell?" asked Ron.

"He's dead. I didn't realise until I talked to Hagrid about my failed attempt to get my body back. After I got the Stone, Quirrell tried to get it off me. I felt this pain coming through my scar. It must have been Voldemort trying to get in. I could feel him pushing me out. My disembodied spirit must have mistaken Quirrell's body for my own."

"Some story," said Ron. "Why should I believe you?"

Harry looked at his hands. "Because do you think Hagrid would let you visit me if I was - how did Dumbledore put it - Voldemort's lapdog?"

Hermione giggled. "He has a point."

"He's playing you," said Ron.

Harry said, "Hermione once said she rather be killed than expelled."

Ron, with his mouth open, stared at him.

"Ron, you'll attract flies," said Hermione.

"He's Harry," said Ron.

"I've been trying to tell you that," said Hermione. "Get a spot on the bed and Harry will tell you how Dudley got a tail."

-  
A/N: No stolen lines from Rowling in this chapter. It will be my story from this point on.


	7. Azkaban

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Azkaban**

Voldemort, now Harry, was in paradise. All right, Vernon and Petunia Dursley locked him in a bedroom, but they served him three squares a day - good rich hearty British food. After not having a body for a decade, the taste on clotted cream on the tongue was worth hearing Dudley whinge. He would kill all the Dursleys later. Right now, he needed to play the part of Harry while the real Harry was locked in a hospital room until he was well enough to be sent to Azkaban. He had been in Quirrell's body long enough to know that wasn't Quirrell. The boy had the stutter down, but he wasn't pale enough and his body didn't tremble.

Yes, life was good. He was catered to by the Dursleys. He had books to read. All right he needed to wear glasses to read them, but after unicorn blood, he could deal with minor inconveniences. He would rest this summer, enjoy the sunshine, coming through the window, and plan his come back. When the time came, the wizard world would hand power to him on a plate. After all, he was the famous Harry Potter. Unlike the real Harry Potter, he planned to savour the fame. The Dursleys with their petty problems didn't interest him. The world would be his - in time.

Dumbledore and the groundkeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, knew he wasn't Harry. They were probably buggering each other. Why else would a man like Dumbledore kept the half-giant cretin around? At this moment, they weren't going to do anything because they believed he was incompetent Quirrell and they didn't want him to run. Soon they would figure out the truth, and they would have to die accidental deaths. Their deaths couldn't be traced to Harry Potter. That girl Hermione was too bright for her own good. She could join her friend Harry in Azkaban. He had all summer to figure out how to frame the mudblood girl for Dumberdore's and Hagrid's deaths.

xxxx

Moody came over with the sun to take Harry to Azkaban. He allowed the boy to dress in his three-piece suit, expensive leather shoes and black robes. Harry stood still while his hands and feet were shackled. Moody said, "I'll sorry, son."

"You aren't my father. He was killed by Voldemort." Harry wasn't going to cry. He was going to face this like a man. Quirrell would scream and cry and he wasn't Quirrell. "Can I bring my photo album?"

"Sorry. Miss Clarkson will see that Rubeus Hagrid gets it."

"Thank you, Sir." Harry looked at his arms and legs in chains. He wondered if the other auror with Moody was one of ones that guarded the door. Neither one of the aurors acted as if they were leading off a dangerous criminal. They looked like two men guilty about chaining the famous Harry Potter. After he arrived at Azkaban, they fingerprinted him, photographed him, he was dressed in prison finery, then a male nurse examined him.

"Distinguishing marks: left cheek sunken in, blond body hair and black hair on face and head, scar of a man's face on back of head," said the male nurse. "The dementors can't see but they can probably smell You-Know-Who on you. You reek of him."

Harry stayed silent.

Moody then walked him to his cell alone. Once they were inside, Moody unchained Harry. "Son, you're going to be in a holding cell until the arraignment. After the arraignment, you will be with the other prisoners. You then will be able to walk around the prison, except during lockdown and rest periods. Good luck."

"Thanks, Sir." The cell looked fairly clean and was larger than his cupboard with beds, a toilet and sink. He tried not to cringe when the prison door slammed shut and he was alone.

An hour or so later, a guard told him that he had a visitor. He was lead to a small room with a table and two chairs. A woman ran over to hug him and the guard pulled then apart. Harry still hadn't adjusted the fact that he was full adult height. Thus, him being several centimetres taller than this woman didn't make her short. He was supposed to be taller than her. Then again, some teenage boys grew ten centimetres over a summer. However, only magic could make you do it literally overnight.

"Thanks," said Harry.

The woman gave him the look Aunt Petunia gave him just before she sent him to his cupboard.

The guard said, "You need to sit at the table and I need to see your hands at all times and no touching."

Harry pulled out a chair for the woman who looked a lot like the man Harry had been staring at in the mirror that last few days. She must have been Quirrell's mother. After all, Quirrell was only twenty-seven when his spirit left his body. "Ma'am, I was told I was Quirinus Quirrell three days ago. I'm sorry."

"You don't remember your mum," said the woman. "Your cheek and nose?"

"Burned. They grew new skin but some of the muscle and cartilage is missing." Harry thought his nose looked good. Quirrell had a bit too much nose before. "Auror Moody took my statement under veritaserum. He knows I don't remember committing the crimes."

"Then you will be coming home?"

"For the summer. Dumbledore missed part of the closing activities to visit me in the hospital." Harry clasped his hands in front of him to keep them in the guard's view. Harry didn't want to lie to the lady, but he didn't want to say anything that might leak to the fake Harry. He smiled. He never had a mum before, and she did appear to care about him.

"That's nice." Her hands were on the table.

"Why didn't you visit me at hospital?"

"I owled Hogwarts, and with you in hospital and the closing activities, my letter must have been overlooked."

He didn't know if Mrs. Quirrell worked for Voldemort. "My friend Hagrid visited me while I was in hospital. When I get released, I will tell you all I know. Guards say things."

"I understand." Her eyes looked sad.

"Mum, I don't remember being your son, but blood is thicker than water." Harry smiled, recalling that Aunt Petunia would say that when Uncle Vernon threatened to kick him out on his arse. She also would say that they were all the family Harry had. Now he had a mum. "You will always be my mum."

The guard said, "Mrs. Quirrell, you will have to wait until normal visiting hours for a longer visit. He needs to sleep. You want him to be well rested when he appears in front of Wizengamot."

"If my son says he doesn't remember, he doesn't remember," said Mrs. Quirrell.

"Mum, the first time I said Quirinus Quirrell I remarked to Dumbledore it was quite a mouthful. Did I have a nickname growing up?"

"Some of your mates called you Inus." She reached out to touch his hand.

"No touching," said the guard.

"Inus." Harry moved his hand away from hers. "When I get out of here, I want to see my room and pictures of me as a child. I have a mum. Do I also have a dad?"

"He doesn't live with us," said Mrs. Quirrell.

"Hagrid says I was a brilliant bloke." Harry wanted to touch her hand but didn't. "Always had my head in a book."

"That you did."

"Mrs. Quirrell, your son has a busy day tomorrow." The guard pointed to the door.

"Quirinus, your testimony under veritaserum will sway the judges," said Mrs. Quirrell.

"Mum, I'll see you soon." Harry waved to her as he was taken away. After lunch (a sandwich, a cup of tea and an apple), he had another visitor - an older man that looked like a bureaucrat - a portly man with a lime green bowler. This visitor came to his cell. Harry asked, "Are you a solicitor?"

"No, I'm Cornelius Fudge," said the man. "The Minister of Magic. I'm here to explain what is going to happen at Wizengamot tomorrow. You're going to claim you don't remember committing the acts you are accused. Auror Moody is going to say that you made the similar statements under veritaserum. You will not say that you remember being anyone else, only that your first memory as Qurinus Quirrell was after the events in question. Mr. Quirrell, the court documents are a matter of public record. Anyone can look at them."

"I understand." Harry realised anyone included Voldemort.

"Then you will be released. You can go home to your mummy." Cornelius Fudge smiled or smirked as the case may be. Quirrell was obviously a mummy's boy.

"Thank you, Sir."

Mr. Fudge motioned to the guard and was let out of Harry's cell. He was alone, again. He decided he should sleep until dinner was served. It wasn't like he had anything else to do. At least, at hospital, the nurses kept him company.


	8. Wizengamot

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Wizengamot**

This ghost like thing came through the prison corridor. Harry's eyes rolled up into his head. He couldn't see. He was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in his ears like the sound of water. He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder. He was having another heart attack. He was going to die before he could be cleared.

And then, from far away, he heard a screaming, terrible, terrified, pleasing screams - his mother's scream. Lillian Potter was screaming "Harry!" A thick white fog swirled around, inside him.

When Moody woke him up for the arraignment, he was still on the floor. "Dumbledore brought you some clothes to wear for Wizengamot."

"Thank you." Harry dressed him in a navy blue suit and black wizard robes. He put on the leather shoes he had worn yesterday.

"I stuck in an electric razor. I know I shouldn't be encouraging you to use a muggle device, but we can't have you nicked when you appear in front of the judges." Moody gave him the prized razor.

"Thank you. You don't know how much I appreciate it." Harry went over to the metal mirror and shaved his face. After Harry ate his breakfast (a bowl of oatmeal, an orange, a rock-hard scone that needed to be dunked in his tea to be eatable and two sausage patties), Harry said, "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Mr. Quirrell, I need to shackle your arms and legs."

Harry stood.

The guard shackled him as Moody watched. Moody removed the shackles before they entered a room inside the Department of Magic. In the centre of the room was a chair with chains on it that would bind the accused to the chair. Harry went over to the chair and sat down. The judges were seated in chairs above. They wore plum robes with a silver W on their left chest. Fudge went over the charges: breaking and entering at Gringotts, the trespassing in Hogwarts, etc. Harry trespassed in Hogwarts all the time. They didn't sound like very serious crimes, especially since he stole nothing from Gringotts. Fudge asked for a plea.

Harry said, "Guilty with an explanation."

"Which is?" asked Fudge.

"I do not remember the committing the acts in question," said Harry. "I had been possessed by Voldemort. He left and so did my memory of being Quirinus Quirrell."

"Can this be verified?" asked Fudge.

Moody spoke, "I took Mr. Quirrell's statement under veritaserum and his first memory of being Quirinus Quirrell was on a stretcher being transported after his fight with the minor, Harry James Potter. The nurses at St. Mungos can also testify that the accused has no memory committing the crimes in question."

"Thank you," said Fudge.

The judges whispered a bit then Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, said, "Those in favour of clearing the accused of all changes?"

Dumbledore and many others raised their hands. Harry couldn't tell if it was more than half, but it seemed close.

Madame Bones then asked, "And those in favour of conviction?"

Only half-dozen hands went up. It appeared quite a number of the judges decided to abstain.

Madame Bones then said, "Quirinus Quirrell, since your wand was broken in your fight with Harry James Potter, you may purchase a new wand. You're free to go."

The chair released his bonds.

"Your honour, I don't remember my mother, where I live, or how to teach." Harry stayed seated. "What I do now?"

"You aren't the first person to suffer amnesia due to trauma and I would count being possessed by He-who-cannot-be-named as trauma. You'll relearn. Headmaster Dumbledore tells me you can have your job back at Hogwarts when you are ready. Good luck, Mr. Quirrell," Madame Bones said.

Harry stood, walked to the stairs up to the elevator to the lobby. Mrs. Quirrell hugged him. When he hugged her back, he realised he was crying. He had a real mum for the first time in his life since Voldemort killed his parents. Aunt Petunia felt obligated to care for him because he was her late sister's son but had no real love for him. "Mum, can we go home?"

"You're really free," said Mrs. Quirrell.

"Rubeus says I don't sound like me," said Harry.

"Rubeus Hagrid, the Keeper of the Keys," said Mrs. Quirrell. "The half-giant."

"When I get home, I'm going to owl him about going to Diagon Alley to get my new wand," said Harry.

"Do you have to associate with him?" She turned up her face in disgust.

"He visited me in St. Mungos. None of my fellow professors did. Dumbledore did, but he said he was responsible for me because I was in his employ."

"He was expelled. He doesn't have a proper education."

Harry knew that wasn't the real reason that Mrs. Quirrell didn't like Hagrid - she was prejudged against people without two proper wizard parents. She was like those Slytherins that felt blood was everything. Suddenly, Harry wasn't so happy that he had her blood running through his veins.

"Mum, Wizengamot said I was a free man." Harry thought about that a second - free man - over seventeen and able to do magic outside Hogwarts. Not that Harry could do much magic. He would have to write Dumbledore to post him the textbooks to teach Defence Against Dark Arts. He had a busy summer ahead of him. What did Fudge get him into? He would have to have some long talks with Hagrid.


	9. The Truth

Author's Notes: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**The Truth**

Hagrid looked down at Mr. Ollivander. "I need yeh ter keep a secret. My friend needs a wand and yeh can't say anythin' ter nobody."

"Confidentially is my stock and trade," said Ollivander.

"That's not what I heard." Hagrid did his best to look threatening, but Harry could see menacing wasn't in the kind man's nature. "Yeh replace his wand. No questions asked. Inus, tell the man yehr wand."

"Holly with phoenix feather - eleven inches." Harry felt odd about Hagrid calling him Inus, but he couldn't have the wrong person hearing Hagrid call him Harry; thus, it was better to get in the habit of calling him by another name. Harry started calling him Rube for Rubeus. Friends should have nicknames for each other.

"That's Harry Potter's wand," said Ollivander.

"That's why the confidentially," said Harry. "We wouldn't want the wrong people knowing."

"I don't understand," said Ollivander.

"Voldemort did magic on me and now I have this body," said Harry. "Dumbledore tried to get me back in my own body and it failed. It would look odd if Professor Quirrell didn't teach in September and I can't teach my students how to counter hexes without a proper wand."

Ollivander looked at them both. "The phoenix in question only gave up two feathers. I don't have another feather to make your wand."

"Owl Dumbledore. We'll return 'morrow. Mr. Ollivander, thank yeh fer yehr time." Hagrid led Harry from the store. "How yeh fairin'?"

"My mother thinks she's better than you. I thought I'd like having a mother, but she's a bigot." Harry sat down outside an ice cream shop. "A dish of chocolate would make me feel much better."

"We betta make it a tub," said Hagrid. "Yeh wouldn' want ter be eatin' that ice cream alone."

Harry hugged him. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Eat ice cream alone and shop fer wands with yehr mother."

"I can't tell her that I'm not her dead son. I don't even know if I'm human. I'm this ghoul living in a dead man's body."

"Voldemort stole yehr body. Yeh didn't consciously take Quirrell's body. Yeh're a free man because Wizengamot didn't hold yeh responsible 'cause o' amnesia." Hagrid sat down beside him. "Yeh don't remember takin' Quirrell's body, right?"

Harry nodded.

"Then yeh got nothin' ter feel guilty fer. Inus, yeh gotta tell her the truth. She's yehr flesh an' blood."

"Some things are just right and wrong and being in a dead bloke's body is wrong. Professor Quirrell told me before he died that Voldemort taught him there was no right or wrong - only power mattered. Just because I'm sentenced to spend the rest of my life in his body doesn't mean I want to be like him. I want to do the right thing."

"Yeh want ter leave this body an' be a spirit in the wind. What good that do yeh? Harry, yeh special. The world needs yeh."

"Rube, you can't be calling me that name. If you don't like Inus, call me Jack or Buddy."

"Okay, Bud." Hagrid rubbed Harry's thick black hair. "Bud, let's get that ice cream."

"Fudge didn't charge me for attempted murder or assaulting Harry Potter or even letting a troll into Hogwarts. I think he's holding those charges over my head to make me behave."

"What yeh mean?" asked Hagrid.

"Double jeopardy means I can't be charged for the same crime twice. I don't know much about statue of limitations. I'm just a child, but Fudge made me feel I was in a police drama and he was using me to get Voldemort."

"What's a police drama?"

"It's telly."

"Never seen it."

"He's playing me." Harry felt like saying forget it. If Dudley didn't get his six hours of telly a day, he acted like he would curl into a ball and die. Here Harry was with Fudge holding attempted murder and other shit over his head. "I thought it was odd that all the charges brought against me were relatively minor crimes."

"Why would he be holding out?" asked Hagrid.

"Because he wants me to live out Professor Quirrell's life. The man tried to kill me twice, and I'm sentenced to live out his life."

"Fudge is using you."

"He's more evil than Quirrell. Fudge plays people." Harry followed Hagrid into the ice cream shop. Quirrell all but admitted to being a weak-minded fool that was used by Voldemort. He was so scared of Voldemort that his heart gave out. "The good thing about being an adult is I can have ice cream anytime I want."

He flooed home from The Leaky Cauldron. Hagrid taught him all about floo powder and fireplaces. It was a strange way to travel, but it worked and it was faster than Underground. He went to his room and changed. He laughed that a man who was anti-muggle enough to be taken in by Voldemort had mostly tee shirts, jumpers and jeans in his wardrobe. Then again, why would he wear a stuffy tie and jacket outside of his work? Quirrell was twenty-seven and lived with his mum when he wasn't at Hogwarts. Hagrid had said Quirrell lived in his books and never experienced the real world.

Harry looked at himself in the mirror. He had on a black tee shirt, a dark purple cardigan and black jeans. Quirrell liked dark colours, especially black and purple. The shy man probably figured dark colours would help him fade into the background since he'd be wearing a black robe to complete the picture. Harry was going to buy himself some beige and khaki - lighten up his wardrobe some, but that would have to wait for later.

He would have to sit his mum down for a talk. That wouldn't be easy. His mum seemed like the type who did the talking and others did the listening. He walked downstairs to the lounge of the two-bedroom house. His mother was reading Witch Weekly. "Mum," he said in a soft nervous voice, "we have to talk."

The woman closed her magazine. "Talk."

Harry, at his moment, liked that he was taller than her. It gave him a false sense of power. He continued standing, fearing that his nerves would make him pace. "I have to go back to Ollivander's tomorrow. He didn't have my wand in stock. Hagrid and I got to talking and I need to say some things to you - us being blood and all."

"Quirinus, sit down." She stared at the sofa. "This sounds important."

Harry sat. "You remember me saying there was more to me not remembering but I couldn't say nothing due to the guards listening."

"Yes, Quirinus." She was frowning - smashing.

"How do I say this? No matter what I say you are going to cry and probably hate me. I'm still your son in a blood sense. However, after my fight with Harry Potter, I haven't been your son in any other way. I don't remember being in this house or having you as a mum because I lived in a different house and had a different mum."

She looked cross-eyed at him. "I don't understand what you are staying."

"I'm risking you'll go to Voldemort with this, but you're my blood and I never had blood before except for Aunt Petunia and Dudley and they don't really want me around." Harry wanted the words to come out, but how did he tell a woman her son was dead? "I don't want you thinking I'm a ghoul. I didn't mean to steal your son's body. My body was taken and I wasn't aware I wasn't in my own body until Dumbledore told me three days later."

The woman stared at him. "You aren't Quirinus."

"In a flesh and blood sense, I am."

"In another sense you aren't," the woman said trying to be helpful. "Could it be you remember being someone else because your mind is trying to fill in the blank caused by your amnesia?"

"No, your Quirinus is dead. I didn't understand why my chest hurt when Harry couldn't have burned me through four layers of clothes. His heart gave out because of the stress Voldemort was putting on him." Harry paused. "I'm eleven and a half years old - eleven and 11/12. I seemed to have picked up your son's nervous habits - comes from having his brain. My mind - his brain. What does a child know of metaphysical matters? I think that is the word. I ran across it when looking up possession and body switching in your son's books."

"Body switching?" said Mrs. Quirrell.

"Body theft," said Harry. "Voldemort pushed me out of my own body. I took up residence - another word from his books - in your son's. I hope I'm pronouncing things right."

"You aren't my Quirinus."

"No, he's dead. He died before I moved in. He was prone to fainting and fighting with Voldemort was too much for him to take. Your son is the victim in all this. He was used and tossed aside by Voldemort. I don't want you thinking your son was bad; he was misguided. I want you to know I didn't kill him." Harry cried. "Voldemort was yelling 'Kill him' and your son couldn't to do it. He wasn't a murderer."

She stared at him. "You're talking crazy."

"Mrs. Quirrell, you should be proud of your boy. Voldemort yelled 'Kill him' what felt a dozen times. Quirinus was possessed by the creature and he didn't kill me. He started to straggle me, but my skin burned his hands. He could have used his cloak to cover his hands and finish the job. He refused. He probably died because he fought with Voldemort over killing an innocent boy." Harry didn't know if that was true. Quirrell probably just was in too much mental stress to think of using his robes to cover his hands, but why make the woman feel any worse?

"Are you trying to tell me you're Harry Potter?"

"I was. Ma'am, I'm truly sorry about your son. I can leave your house. Hagrid would probably take me in."

"Harry, you can stay."

"I'm Inus now. We need Voldemort to believe your son is still alive or we are both dead. I've got reading to do. I need to know enough to teach your son's classes out of his books. Your son told me when we met that I didn't need his classes - being the boy who lived and all. That doesn't mean I can teach them." Harry went upstairs.

The woman walked to the stairs and yelled up. "I'll call you down for tea."

Harry thought about his pauses and using all those extra words when he talked. He had Quirrell's body that included his nervous system. He wasn't truly Harry anymore. He was a blend of both people. He had Harry's mind, Harry's magic and Quirrell's body. No auror was going to be able to take Voldemort alive - that meant killing Harry's original body. He was Quirinus Quirrell and would remain so for his natural (unnatural) life.


	10. Accio Twig

Author's Notes: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Accio Twig**

Harry's wand was ready to be picked up in a couple days. Ron and Hermione visited later in the summer. Hermione taught him how to hold his wand and pronounce the Latin incantations. While it was still early August, he was doing Lumos, Wingardium Leviosa and Accio. After summoned a twig from across his garden, Hermione and Ron clapped. Harry took a small bow.

"Good show," said Ron.

"I now know enough magic to pass for a professor in the halls," said Harry. "Professor Quirrell wasn't a very good teacher. I was thinking, if I reread the lessons before I teach them, I should be able to teach the class almost as well as he did."

Hermione giggled. "Or better."

"I'm not great with wand work, so I can have my students demonstrate the spells," said Harry.

"You're doing fine," Hermione said.

Harry stared down at her. "You're ten times better than I."

Mrs. Quirrell called out to the garden. "Inus, would you and your friends like tea?"

"He isn't your son," said Ron.

"He's becoming more like my son with each passing day." Mrs. Quirrell smiled a knowing smile. Ron and Mrs. Quirrell teased each other every day about Harry not being her boy. "He can't fight his biology anymore than you can. You-Know-Who killed Harry Potter's parents and my son. We are a good match for each other."

"We'll love tea." Hermione elbowed Ron. "Ron, don't keep the lady waiting."

xxxx

Dumbledore owled Harry to return to Hogwarts a couple weeks before classes were scheduled. He had barely settled in when Snape knocked at his door.

Snape didn't look happy to be there. Then Snape never looked happy, if he smiled it would probably crack his face. "Dumbledore wants me to tutor you. Like I didn't already have a million other things to do."

"Severus, you don't have to pretend to like me," said Harry. Dumbledore told him to call the other professors by their first names. It would help remind them to treat Harry like an equal or so Dumbledore claimed.

"I don't tutor you. We'll both be in trouble." Snape sat on the bed. "Take out your wand. Let's get started."

Harry took his wand out of his robe pocket.

"That's Harry Potter's wand," said Snape.

"I can explain. Professor Quirrell died of a heart attack. I have the scarring on my heart to prove it. You will have to continue to swoop down on students since you appear so good at it because I have to take it easy - light exercise."

"If you're Harry Potter, then who is in your body?" asked Snape.

"The only person with magic similar enough to my own that he wouldn't need another wand." Harry put his wand back in his pocket. "Severus, let me explain this is small words so even a Potions professor can understand. Dumbledore said Voldemort entered me through my scar. I was a twelve-year-old boy one moment. The next, I'm an adult with a bad heart."

"Potter, I don't want to hear your poor me stories."

"Voldemort and I have similar magic. Let's say he got the better deal on the body transfer." Harry sat down on a chair. "Severus, I'm going to be Quirinus Quirrell for the rest of my life. Voldemort isn't exactly going to give up a young healthy body, especially one attuned to his magic. Do you want to start tutoring or what?"

"People aren't going to believe you're a professor."

"I don't need to do Potions to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts. I can have my students demonstrate spells; I'll manage."

Snape said, "Let me get this straight. The Dark Lord has been using your body all summer."

"You can be taught."

"The Dark Lord is in a young body free to pick all of us off when we are least aware? Dumbledore and I need to talk."

"We've been talking all summer."

"You're a twelve year old. Do your revising. This is adult business." Snape walked out of Quirrell's rooms.


	11. Werewolf

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Werewolf**

Severus stormed into Dumbledore's office. "You're making a mockery of this school."

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling when he looked at the younger man. "What did I do now?"

"How can you let a boy with a first-year education teach? You're making a mockery of all the other professors working here, myself included. You ask me to tutor him and you think I wouldn't know."

"He's been reading over the summer. Hermione has been teaching him how to use a wand."

"Another first year. The blind leading the blind."

"Quirinus is in Hogwarts where he can get an education and I can keep him safe. He's a smart boy and the fact that he went down to the dungeon with Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger means he knows how to ask for help."

"He didn't sound very willing to take help. He practically bit my head off."

"I hired Remus Lupin to teach the higher-level classes. Quirinus will have enough on his plate, teaching one to five."

"The werewolf?" Severus couldn't believe the old man would let a werewolf into Hogwarts.

"He can teach the six and seven years their advance studies and he can help Quirinus with his classes. It's a good fit."

"Everything is fun and games until he eats one of our charges."

"He's only teaching advanced levels. I would have had Remus tutor Quirinus, but Remus insists on taking the train. Severus, helping Quirinus settle in shouldn't be that much of a burden."

"The boy is rude. He thinks because he was magically given an adult body I should respect him. He is still the same obnoxious boy that was the bane of my existence last year."

"The poor boy had a fatal heart attack this summer." It sounded odd hearing Dumbledore say fatal, instead of near fatal. However, the heart attack did kill the original owner of that body. "He's talking to Poppy right now. He'll be lucky to reach thirty-five. I tried to return him to his own body and failed. I wanted him to return as a student. Fudge insisted that he resume Quirinus Quirrell's life. Don't tell me how to do my job."

"Someone should." Severus wasn't a child that needed to be coddled. "I learn from that child that the Dark Lord is running free, pretending to be a student. After everything we've been through, don't you think I should have been told?"

"I decided that it was need to know." Dumbledore sat back on his seat. "I can't be telling everyone. Do you want aurors and dementors all over the school? I won't have Hogwarts turned into a carnival. If you want to keep an eye on Potter, please, do, but you shan't let on to him that you know he's Voldemort."

"I'm the epitome of discretion"

Dumbledore smiled at him. "That remains to be seen."

"Who knows?"

"Poppy, Hagrid and myself. Quirinus may have told Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger, but those two can keep a secret. They proved that during the Philosopher's Stone business. You shan't speak to anyone about this. The walls have ears."

Severus turned toward the door. "Understood."

"Now that is over. I'd like to return to my nap."

Severus stormed out of the office as abruptly as he entered it.

xxxx

Harry remembered to see Poppy Pomfrey for his examination. She took his weight, height and checked his heart. He asked, "Stethoscope?"

"Wizards haven't come up with anything better," said Poppy. "Sounds good. Quirinus, you still have that murmur. You can listen. Lub-dub, whish."

Harry listened hard but he couldn't hear the leak. He recalled Mrs. Quirrell saying Quirinus was a miracle baby. The medi-wizards gave him a year and he lasted twenty-seven. After Mrs. Quirrell had confided to Harry about her son's condition, Harry understood the deceased man a bit better. Quirrell knew he was living on borrowed time. The unicorn blood might have been keeping Quirrell alive as well as Voldemort.

Poppy removed the stethoscope from Harry's ears. "I think the whish much softer than last year. What do you think?"

"I have amnesia." Harry looked at his lap.

Poppy put up a privacy screen. "Harry, I forgot."

"Poppy, you know? Does the whole school know?"

"Sorry. I won't call you Harry, again. How is your health?"

"Good. No complaints."

"The leak is smaller; you appear to be healing your congenital defects. You ready for another year?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"I've never seen your cheeks so rosy." Poppy smiled. "Did you have a good summer?"

"Yes, I visited with Rubeus. Minister Fudge gave Hermione special permission to practice underage magic. I think I have attention deficient disorder. Last year I could follow a snitch all over a field. Now I can't even stay on the same subject."

"You have different brain chemistry now and there is always the possibility of brain damage. No one knows how long you were dead before I restarted your heart. Your general health seems much better than Quirinus's was last July. Your magic appears affecting your body in more ways than just that thick mane of black hair."

Harry knew that was the last time Poppy examined Quirrell. He wouldn't have let Poppy near him once Voldemort had taken residence in his body. "Poppy, how often do you want to check my heart?"

"After winter break will be fine unless you have any problems. You can get dressed now. I think you should have taken the year off to study," said Poppy. "But I'm only the school nurse, no one listens to me."

"Professor Flitwick, as a former duelling champion, is the most qualified to teach me how to handle a wand in combat situations." Harry put on his shirt, waistcoat and jacket since he had kept his vest on when she checked his heart. "However, since Severus recognized my wand, my former Charms professor certainly will."

"Your vocabulary has improved," said Poppy.

"Hermione said my vocabulary would give me away quicker than my lack of proficiency with a wand." Harry put on his robe, but kept it open. "She made me learn twenty new words a day and she tested me on them. Proficiency was one of them. Back to Filius."

"You can't avoid him forever." Poppy put down the privacy screen.

xxxx

Harry spent most of the fortnight before school opening revising. The day before the welcoming feast, Harry got the courage to ask Flitwick to help him learn defensive magic. He knocked on the door of the man's study and was invited in. Who in his right mind decorated with live fairies? Each his own.

"As you know, I have amnesia do to my previous possession by You-Know-Who," said Harry. "All my knowledge of magic is gone. Filius, you're the most qualified to tutor me in defensive magic. I've been told I haven't been the most outgoing man to work with, but could you make room in your schedule for weekly lessons?"

"Every Sunday for two hours." Flitwick appeared honoured by the request. He even gave him a short lesson on stance. He had to have recognized Harry's wand, but being a polite gentleman, made no comment. "You can also help with the duelling club."

"I'll watch at first."

The small man gave Harry a knowing smile. Afterwards, Harry sent Severus an owl to say he had found another tutor and wouldn't need his services. Harry felt bad about sending the owl, but a letter was easier on his nerves than seeing Severus face to face.

xxxx

A/N: I can't see Lockhart mentoring anyone, especially not a very needy Harry Potter. Mentoring Harry would get Remus out of his depression and would be good for Harry. :) I moved the DADA list up one year. It is my AU. I can do that.


	12. Dead Elf

Author's Notes: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Dead Elf**

A man, wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places, greeted Harry. Though quite young, the man's light brown hair was flecked with grey. Harry wouldn't have considered a man in his thirties young a few months ago. Then again, Harry was going to be twenty-eight on 17 November. The man shook Harry's hand. "I'm Remus Lupin. Pleased to meet you. Quirinis Quirrell, aren't you? We're going to be teaching class together."

"At first, I suppose," said Harry. "Headmaster Dumbledore told me you were to teach the sixth and seventh years and help me with my other classes since my memory has left me."

"My memory leaves me at times," said Remus. "Tricky things - memories. I have gone to the cupboard and when I arrive there I don't recall what I wanted. I would hazard a guess you remember more than you think. Why don't I sit in back when you teach your first class and we can take it from there?"

"Sure," said Harry.

"We should be heading to the Great Hall. We wouldn't want to miss the Sorting." Lupin seemed like a nice enough man. Harry sat by Snape like he had seen Quirrell do last year. Lupin sat on his other side. Ron, Hermione and _Harry_ were already seated at the Gryffindor table. Harry watched the first years nervously being sorted - glad to not be in their number - and then go to their designated tables.

After Ginny Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor - no surprise there since her brothers were Gryffindors - Dumbledore made his announcements. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. We have a new professor this year. Remus Lupin as agreed to teach the advanced Defence Against Dark Arts classes and assist our own Quirinus Quirrell in his classes. As you recall, an incident occurred in the dungeons last year, which landed our Professor Quirrell in hospital with his memory gone. You are to show him the same respect you show your other professors."

Harry blushed. Same respect they show other professors - none.

"Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you." Dumbledore sat back down and everyone clapped and cheered.

Harry giggled. He couldn't act like he heard those words last year. Amnesia, this was all new to him. He had to remember that.

Minerva whispered something to Dumbledore.

And Dumbledore said, "Really? No need to panic."

Severus said, "Minerva, share your news. Whispering across a table is quite rude."

"Severus, you should know all about rude," said Minerva.

Dumbledore said in a soft voice. "A dead house elf was found on a muggle lawn."

Minerva said, "4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. Harry Potter's address."

"Voldemort was known for torturing magical creatures," Dumbledore said, "It starts, again."

"One dead elf doesn't mean the end is near," said Severus.

Remus was already eating. Then the man looked like he hadn't eaten in days. Harry decided he could eat and listen. After the feast, Remus and Harry went to Harry's rooms. Remus absently thumbed through Harry's photo album. "I owled many of these photos to Rubeus. How did they come into your possession?"

"I," Harry spattered.

"I should give this to its proper owner," Remus said finishing the sentence for him.

Harry put his hand on the album and shut it. "I am the proper owner. I don't have Quirinus's memories because I wasn't Quirinus until Voldemort stole my body and killed the original Quirinus Quirrell." Harry was impressed with himself for not stuttering or taking too many verbal detours. "I've been in a complete panic all summer that he would kill my family while I was stuck living with my new mum."

"All he appeared to have killed is one elf," said Remus.

"That elf is dead," said Harry. "Voldemort has killed once since taking a new body. What is to stop him from killing, again?"

"I didn't mean to insult the elf in question," said Remus. "Some of my best friends are magical creatures. I'm just saying it could have been worse. Harry, I knew your mother and father."

"Yes, the pictures. You're in some of them and who's your friend?" Harry asked reopening the album.

"Sirius Black." Remus took a chair, pushed it over to the table and seat beside Harry, so they could look at the album together. "He's in Azkaban for telling You-Know-Who your parents' location and killing Peter Pettigrew and a crowd of muggles. I keep thinking I'm missing something. Sirius would never have done such thing. I don't care how many witnesses were there."

"You sound like a loyal friend." Harry looked at a photo of Lilly, James, Remus and Sirius all sitting on one large sofa. Lilly was on James's lap and appeared to be pregnant. Remus and Sirius seemed to be touching more than friends touch. Then again, Harry held hands with Rubeus a number of times.

"I love him. It's been eleven years and there's never been anyone else."

Harry touched the page. In another photo, Lilly had baby Harry in her arms. She and James were waving to the camera. They were smiling. "Did you take this picture?"

"Yes, Harry." Remus smiled. "It's almost like they're alive, again. And we're all together."

"It's not Harry anymore. I'd like to look at photos all night and hear you talk about your friend, but I teach my first class tomorrow."

"Quirinus, you will do fine."

"It's Inus. Quirinus is a mouthful, besides my nickname makes me different than the original. I need to find me." Harry put his hands on his lap. "This summer I read his books and looked at the mirror at his face. "

"It's your face," said Remus.

"The nurses at the hospital told me this is what Harry looks like now. I finally see pictures of my mum and dad only I don't look like them anymore."

"You could still get your body back."

"The current owner isn't going to give it back. I'm not exactly powerful enough to steal it back."

"When there is life, there is hope. I tell myself that. All my friends are gone and I, somehow, continue. Sirius loved James as a brother. I don't understand how he could betray him. The whole thing doesn't make sense."

"Voldemort gets to people. He promised the original owner of this body long life and power. However, once Voldemort was able to reach inside my body and push me out, he discarded him like yesterday's rubbish." Harry didn't believe Voldemort caused Quirrell's heart attack. However, having Voldemort's spirit leave his body couldn't have been good for his already weak heart.

"Sirius lost a brother to Voldemort." Remus didn't say You-Know-Who this time. "He wouldn't have believed his empty promises. I'm missing something. I just wish I knew what it was."

"All summer I thought I'd be teaching alone. Then just before school is scheduled to start Dumbledore tells me I may have an assistant."

"I didn't want to teach," said Remus. "Dumbledore and I went back and forth on this issue. I finally gave in."

"You had your own issues." Harry looked at the man's worn clothes. "The darns in the robes and the patches on the sleeves. You came upon hard times. You were better dressed in the photos."

"I haven't been taking care of myself like I should. You should have heard Dumbledore lecture me. I'm on the dole, and there are second-hand shops. It just doesn't seem worth the trouble."

"I have some money. I'll buy you another suit. You can pay me back when you get paid."

"I shall." Remus stood and put an arm around him.

"You shall because I will annoy you until you do. This is a loan, not charity. You are a workingman now." Harry was worried about his third year classes. "I'm doing the 'boggart in the wardrobe' lesson first thing in the morning. What if that class should see my greatest fear?"

"Which is?"

"Voldemort killing my family, friends and, finally, me. If they saw that red-eyed demon that lived on the back of my head, that wouldn't bother me. But I'm afraid, he'll manifest as Harry Potter."

"You're frightened of yourself." Remus laughed. "Freud would love that."

"Who's Freud?"

"A muggle doctor. He believed in so much hocus-pocus that he should have been a wizard. Good-night, Inus." Remus gave Harry a brief hug before leaving the room.


	13. Boggart

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Boggart**

The boggart didn't manifest as_ Harry_ at least not at first. Harry had a girl that was deathly afraid of rats change her rat into a cartoon rat wearing a swimming costume, carrying a beach umbrella. Remus must have had an equally embarrassing fear because he stayed in the back of the class during the whole lesson. They would have to get another boggart to teach that class for the Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw third years.

Harry had forced the boggart to manifest as the red-eyed monster that he had seen on the back of Quirrell's head when he was still Potter. He wondered if that would still be the case after teaching his second year Gyffindor/Slytherin class. The class started on a good note with Malfoy and _Potter_ in some sort of shouting match.

"You killed my elf," cried Malfoy.

"He was breaking and entering," said _Potter_. "I was protecting myself."

Nott joined in, "What could Potter possibly have that you would want to steal?"

"The disobedient elf went to Potter's house without my permission," said Malfoy.

"Then you should be thanking Potter for saving you the trouble," said Nott.

_Potter_ had by this time had taken his seat with the other Gyffindors. Malfoy had slapped Nott on the side of the head. Followed by Nott punching Malfoy on the shoulder. Remus took his seat in the back. Harry fingered his wand as he walked over to the two Slytherins that were now punching each other and yelling things like "Take it back!" and "I won't!"

Harry said, "Malfoy, Nott, detention with me tonight after your classes. And twenty points off for Slytherin, and if you don't sit down right now, we can go for twenty more. Unlike Snape, I hate all you prats equally."

Both boys found their seats and sat down. After he was seated, Malfoy said, "Potter was the one who killed my elf. Why isn't he being punished?"

"The elf in question wasn't killed on school property. You have any issues on how the situation is being handled take it up with the Ministry of Magic." Harry walked to the front of the class. "I'm Professor Quirrell as I assume you know. I just found out I'm Professor Quirrell this June, so you will have to forgive me if I don't know all your names."

A few students giggled and someone whispered, "His stutter is gone."

"Yes, my stutter is gone. I've been told I'm a different person." Harry wasn't going to tell his students how different. "Professor Lupin has agreed to sit in on few classes. He is evaluating me; his presence is of none of your concern. Professor Kettleburn has let us borrow his pixies, but first I want you to open your books."

The class went well. Malfoy did release his pixie, but the little lad was returned to his jar without too much ado. Parkinson's hair was dipped in ink and Longbottom's laces were tied together. The class did laugh when Longbottom fell on his face, but all in all, Harry felt the class went well. Granger, Weasley and Thomas cornered the poor blue lad under a desk and got him back in his jar. Harry gave the three Gryffindors house points.

Remus didn't feel the need step in all day. The two Slytherins managed to show up for detention. Malfoy said, "Potter is evil."

"Yes, he is," Harry was thinking you have no idea how evil. "We aren't here to discuss personalities. In the real world, you have to deal with people you don't like without resorting to fisticuffs."

Nott laughed.

"Boys, you and I have an hour together. I'm going to read. I suggest you do the same. Either of you talk and you can have another detention with Filch as he won't be nearly as sociable." Harry would have to thank Hermione, again, for her vocabulary lists. He set a timer for the hour and went about revising for tomorrow's classes.

After he thanked the boys for a pleasant hour, he went over to Hagrid's hut. Hagrid wasn't in his hut, so he checked the surrounding buildings. Hagrid was feeding some large horses chicken, which Harry thought was odd because weren't horses vegetarian? They were thin nasty looking things. Harry kept a fair distance and watched. The way those horses(?) chomped down on chicken - bones and all - he didn't want his fingers anywhere near them.

"Yeh can see them?" asked Hagrid.

"Of course, I can," said Harry. "I may be naive, but don't horses eat grass, hay and carrots?"

"These are thestrals - they pull the carriages." Hagrid left the corral and locked the gate.

"The carriages pull themselves." Harry remembered what looked like a line carriages taking the older students to Hogwarts.

"Buddy, did yeh witness death between now an' then?"

Harry thought a second. "I heard death screams the one night I spend in Azkaban." He would never forget those horrible cries he heard, the cold chill that went through his body.

"With the eyes. Ears don't count with thestrals."

"Quirrell saw lots of death. These are his eyes," Harry said. "He was terrified of everything."

"Buddy, do yeh want tea?"

"Sure." Harry was started to feel the cold through his multiple layers of clothing.

When they got inside and Hagrid put the kettle in the fireplace, Hagrid sat beside Harry. "How was yehr first day teachin'?"

"Good. Remus sat in back and watched the whole time. I couldn't have done too poorly since he didn't intervene. I did a lesson with a boggart. Everyone has fears."

"I wish I was there." Hagrid laughed. Harry loved his laugh. It came from Hagrid's gut and filled the cottage.

"Everyone laughed at confused boggart. For a second, it became Harry Potter. I said, 'riddikulus' and it became a red-eyed demon in Aunt Petunia's housedress. Everyone laughed. Olivia Hanley changed it into a frog, which she made purple with yellow polka dots. Everyone was laughing so hard that the boggart died."

"It became Harry Potter?" Hagrid said for clarification.

"For less than a second," said Harry. "I changed the boggart into the demon I saw on the back of Quirrell's head. Remus teased me about being afraid of myself. I think Remus is afraid of himself or something inside him."

"Why do you say that?"

"He acts like a man with inner demons."

"His whole world was shattered when yehr parents died." Hagrid put his arms around Harry. "James, Sirius, Peter and Remus were best mates."

"I saw the pictures. I don't look like James or Lilly anymore."

Hagrid muffed Harry's hair. "Yeh still have James's unruly hair." Hagrid and Harry drank tea, talked and laughed until Harry decided he needed to turn in for the night. "Yeh could stay here."

"My clean clothes are in the castle, besides it wouldn't look right."

Hagrid gave Harry a good night hug and Harry walked back to the castle and to his quarters.


	14. Silver and Gold

Author's Notes: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

Silver and Gold

The following night, Remus came to Harry's room to help him with his lesson plans. "Anything for me to do?

"I'm following my lesson plans from last year," Harry explained. "My old self left good notes. P-P-Professor Quirrell left nothing to chance."

"Why do the work when someone else had done it for you?" Remus pulled a chair up to the desk. "Quirrell stuttered."

"'P's were a problem for him and 'd's," Harry was looking over the lesson plan for the week. "Saying the name of the class he taught took him forever. We shook hands for over five minutes when we meet. He seemed very excited to meet the boy who lived."

"You don't stutter." Remus was following where Harry was pointing.

"I have amnesia, so I don't have to sound like him. Since I'm going to be in this body for the rest of my life, I'm going to be me. People can think the personality change is due to amnesia or they can sod off."

"I agree." Remus put an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Do people see Professor Quirrell when they look at me or do they know I'm an impostor?"

"You're Quirrell with amnesia. Who else would you be?"

"Harry Potter pretending to be a professor. Potter, pretending, professor." Harry laughed. "The original would be spitting everywhere on all those 'p's. No one sees twelve year old boy?"

"No, Inus. You're a good teacher. You rely heavily on the textbook and your lesson plans, but many new teachers do that. Your biggest problem is you're a very outgoing hands-on professor and your students are a bit standoffish."

"Voldemort was inside me last year." Harry shut his book. "I can see how that could be scary. I'd be scared of me, too. Since I'm no longer wearing a turban, they can see that I'm free of him."

"Possession is a dark arts subject. Perhaps, if you get it in the open, your students will be more receptive to you."

Harry blushed. "Receptive wasn't on my vocabulary lists."

"More open, more suggestive," said Remus. "More willing to learn from you."

"I'm teaching Defence Against Dark Arts. I failed at the practical. I let the Dark Lord enter me." Harry wasn't aware of anything but the pain when it was happening. He didn't even try to push Voldemort out.

"Only his followers call him that." Remus removed his hand from Harry's shoulder and pushed his chair away from him a few inches.

"Severus calls him the Dark Lord. I won't do it, again. It's just that everyone says 'You-Know-Who', 'He-who-shall-not-be-named' and all this awkward stuff. People shiver when I call him by name." Harry walked over to his coffee table and poured himself some tea. "Do you want a cuppa?"

"No thank you," said Remus. "You didn't let him enter you."

"He entered me and pushed me out. I woke up in this body. Professor Quirrell only gave him a spot on the back of his head and I abandoned ship. He has my body because I failed at defending against The Dark Arts."

Remus sat down beside him and hugged him. "You're a boy, and he's this powerful creature with decades of knowledge in the dark arts. Quirrell kept Voldemort out because he practiced occlumency."

"Occlumency?" asked Harry.

"Occlumency is the art of magically defending the mind against external penetration, sealing it against magical intrusion and influence," explained Remus. "Because Quirrell was an Occlumens, he could keep Voldemort out of his mind even when they were using the same brain."

"He said he was weak." Harry drank some of his tea.

"He must have felt that way since he couldn't get Voldemort to leave all together. Inus, never feel bad about surviving. If I didn't think you could teach, I would steal your chalk and take over the class."

"You would?"

"Yes, I would, but I rather give you pointers after class. I did help the fourth and fifth years with their hexes and counter-hexes."

"Only because, the students won't let me help them with their stances." Harry finished his tea and poured himself more. "What happened last year gave me cooties?"

Remus smiled. "Now you sound twelve."

"No saying cooties or calling Voldemort the Dark Lord." Harry lifted his teacup. "The house elves make plenty. I feel awkward drinking alone."

"Caffeine and I can't sleep all night. I rather not snore in your class. I'm mocked enough for sleeping on the train."

"I'm nervous about talking to Hermione and Ron." Harry looked at Remus sitting at his desk. "Summoning charms are fourth year."

"And?"

"Hermione taught herself a fourth year charm then taught me. That is a bit beyond friendship and I haven't been very friendly to her."

"Talk to her at breakfast or during the weekend. Play with your friends. I'm over thirty and I still like lying in the grass and looking at clouds."

"I can't talk to them around _Potter_. He probably believes, because I stuttered wrong and said a rehearsed speech, that I have amnesia. I don't want him thinking I can remember or worse that I'm not the original owner of this body."

"You read your notes and drink your tea." Remus got up from his chair. "Inus, I'll see you at breakfast."

"Good-night, Remus."

xxxx

During dinner, Harry went over to Hermione and Ron. "Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, I'm very sorry for what happened last year. I don't remember what I have done, but I'm sorry for my involvement."

"Professor Quirrell, you don't have to apologise," said Hermione.

"Let him apologise," said Ron.

"Do you want to go over to Hagrid's hut to talk?" said Harry.

Hermione finished the last of her pudding. "Lead the way."

After closing his robe, Harry led them through the rain to Hagrid's hut.

"Please, come in," said Hagrid. "The three o' yeh mates, again?"

"Never weren't," said Ron.

Fang got under Ron's chair. At least, the Great Dane got his head and front paws under Ron's chair and sniffed Ron's legs.

"I didn't have too much time for friends my first week," said Harry. "I'm going to make time."

"Tea, everyone?" asked Hagrid.

"Yes, please," said Hermione.

"None of those rocks you call biscuits," said Ron.

Hermione went to kick him and stopped short - seeing the dog intertwined with Ron's legs. "Hagrid does all his cooking in a fireplace."

"I like cookin' fer meself," said Hagrid. "A fire warms yeh betta than a modern cooka."

"Your hut is homey," said Hermione.

Hagrid took the kettle off the fire and poured the water into the teakettle to seep then put the large kettle back over the fire. "Fudge is holdin' things 'ver Buddy's head ter make him do Quirrell's work."

"You never told me," said Hermione.

"He didn't accuse me of bringing a troll into the school or trying to kill Harry," said Harry. "I hate to think this, but Fudge acts like he's covering it up because he doesn't want it out for his own sake."

"Sounds like Fudge," said Hagrid.

"I let Voldemort steal my body," said Harry. "Fudge isn't guilty of anything."

"You're the boy who lived," said Ron. "You're the most famous wizard in England outside of Dumbledore."

"I'm Inus Quirrell, a professor that lost his memory after being possessed by Voldemort. I'm less than nothing," Harry explained. "I move like Quirrell; I have all his nervous habits. I don't stutter, but I pause and take verbal detours."

"You aren't Quirrell," said Ron.

"I have dark hair, and my cheeks are rosier, but other than that I'm him," said Harry. "I'm twelve. I've only taken one year, but when I teach, everything feels like I've done it before. Can you explain it? I can't."

"Not much is written on body theft," said Hermione. "People like Fudge want to cover it up. People want to act like it can't happen. It's too personal - too scary. Being in a body that's not your own - that's what nightmares are made of. I don't think I would manage as well as you."

"It happened." Harry looked at his hands. They had healed perfectly. No one would ever know they had been badly burned. Still they weren't the hands he was born with - his hands now. "I've been in this body three months. The only cases of body switching I've read - the victims are returned to their own bodies in a day or three or four days at most."

"That doesn't mean you can't get your body back," said Hermione.

"You think it's hopeless. Don't lie to me. We didn't spend the summer getting my body back. We spent it - you teaching me how to pass for a professor," said Harry. "Summoning charms are fourth year. I'm amazed that you learned Accio to teach me."

"I didn't mind. I liked spending the summer with you and Ron," said Hermione.

Hagrid poured out the tea. "Sugar?"

"Please," said Hermione.

"Milk and sugar," said Ron.

"Milk, no sugar," said Harry. "I need to spend my evenings with Professor Lupin going over the material for the next day. I wish I could spend more time with you."

Ron said, "Fudge didn't charge you with the big stuff?"

"You have the statement under veritaserum that you don't remember," said Hermione.

"Don't matter," said Hagrid. "Fudge could put Harry in St. Mungos if no one will sentence him ter Azkaban."

"He wouldn't," said Hermione.

"I put nothin' past Fudge," said Hagrid. "Harry doesn't pretend ter be Quirrell an' Fudge can call him criminally insane. Insane means they can keep yeh until yeh sane."

"I may never get out," said Harry.

"My parents say I'm smarter than many adults, but I wouldn't want to prove it," said Hermione.

"Fudge wants to take my childhood away from me," said Harry.

"You have an adult body," said Ron.

"Dumbledore could have let me attend class, if Fudge wasn't a pompous git," Harry said. "You and Hermione accept me in this body; everyone else eventually would."

Hermione said, "You're Harry."

"Thanks." Harry smiled at her. "Severus claims I want to be treated with respect because I have an older body. All I want is the same respect he would show any colleague. Age isn't an issue."

"It shouldn't be, but it is," said Hermione.


	15. The Question of Potter

Author's Notes: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**The Question of Potter**

Two days before the Halloween feast, Dumbledore called a meeting on Harry's progress. Dumbledore said, "Remus tells me you've been teaching on your own since day one."

"He's a natural," said Remus.

"This must sound crazy, but I feel like I've done the material before," said Harry.

Flitwick said, "I've been tutoring Inus every Sunday. He's relearning. He may not be able to access his old memories but everything is hard-wired in his brain. I wish I knew more. We haven't been able to find much in the library on body switching and body theft."

"A body thief wouldn't announce it, and when it occurs accidentally or someone is a victim, it's covered up," said Dumbledore.

"Moody, Inus's three nurses, Fudge, Weasley, Granger, Mrs. Quirrell and everyone in this room knows," said Severus. "It hardly counts as a secret."

"How is _Potter_ doing?" Dumbledore asked. "Socially, academically?"

Harry spoke, "He doesn't take part in group discussions; he won't lend a hand unless asked, but he turns in all his assignments."

"Same here," said Flitwick. "He acts like my class is a waste of his precious time."

"Severus?" Dumbledore asked.

"He's proficient in potions but he doesn't put any heart into it," Severus said.

Dumbledore said, "We're in general agreement. Riddle was aloof, but had some of the best marks on record."

"He reads a lot," Severus said. "The other Gryffindors say he should be resorted."

"The sorting hat put me in Slytherin," Harry admitted, "but I asked the hat for any other house."

Dumbledore glanced at Severus. "Do you think he would do better in Slytherin?"

"The Slytherin boys hate him. I could see him hexing them all within a week," Severus said. "Keep him where he is."

"I agree. The first day of class he caused a fight between two Slytherin boys," Harry stated.

Dumbledore said, "Severus, are you and Poppy working on restoring Quirinus to his original body?"

"The problem is _Potter_ is happy where he is," said Severus. "Potter's body is compatible with his magic. He was quite capable of pushing Potter all the way out. The best he could do with Quirrell was grow a second face and argue with him."

"Severus is right," said Remus. "He isn't going to settle for a body that is older, has less magic and a weak heart."

"Then we have to make him leave," said Dumbledore.

"_Potter_ is a student under our care," said Poppy. "Unless you want to bring in aurors and cause a panic, we need to treat that monster like our other students."

"The aurors will kill him first then ask questions later," said Severus.

"He isn't guilty of anything other than killing someone else's elf that he found breaking and entering," said Flitwick. "Riddle was one of my best students. He won't cause any problems unless he's provoked. We bring in aurors - Riddle will defend himself and innocent people will be killed."

"So we wait," Dumbledore said. "Remus, do you want to stay on for the rest of the term? I hate to have you here just to teach two classes."

"I don't mind," Remus said. "I've been helping Kettleburn with Magical Creatures."

Severus gave Remus an eyeful. Harry felt he was missing some sort of inside joke since lifting an eyebrow and small smirk was as close as Severus got to laughter.

"He wants to retire," said Remus. Something was up between Severus and Remus. Since Severus was Slytherin and Remus was Gyffindor and the rivalry between the two houses hadn't changed, they probably weren't friends.

"You and Kettleburn can work out the details," said Dumbledore.

xxxx

Hermione ran over to Harry after breakfast Saturday. "Aren't we friends anymore?"

"Of course, we're friends." Harry sat down under a tree and motioned for her to join him. "I've been busy. I attended my first staff meeting. I'm off probation. Professor Lupin will have to find another place to read Quidditch Today."

"That's good news," said Hermione. "Where did you learn to teach like that?"

"I just know." Harry put his hands on his lap. "I have deja vu. Professor Flitwick says I can't remember or recognize anything from before, but I relearn."

"Relearn?" she repeated.

"I learn faster than someone who has never done the task before."

Hermione stared at him like he grew another eye. Not a pleasant thought since he still had the scarring caused by that second face.

Harry then said, "Your parents are dentists. They must use computers. I can't access his programs until I reinstall the software necessary. Does that make sense?"

"I suppose. You call me Miss Granger in class."

"That's your name."

"It's like you don't know me. I tutored you all summer and this is the thanks I get."

"You did a wonderful job and I'm very thankful. I'll buy you a nice Christmas present." Harry didn't mean to be flippant, but he was under a lot of pressure.

"_Harry_ freaks me out," said Hermione. "He's creepy and he spends more time in the library than I."

"Don't let him get to you. How are you and Ron doing?"

"Ron is worried about his little sister. She has this crush on Harry and Ron can't tell her what he knows about him. Ron and I are still friends, but we miss having you get us into trouble. Are you making new friends?"

"Rubeus and Remus are my best friends." Harry laughed. "Reminds of those twins from Greek mythology."

"It was Roman and they were Romulus and Remus."

Harry rolled a blade of grass between his fingers. "Where do you get this stuff?"

"I'm brilliant. Professor Lupin says I'm the smartest witch of my generation."

"You and Ron can come to my office anytime you want to talk. Hermione, there is only sixteen years between us. When you're thirty and I'm forty-six, it won't matter, but now it does."

Hermione stood up. "I have plenty of adult friends."

"But they aren't your teachers. I can tutor you or you can tutor me, but we can't just hang out together. I don't make the rules."

"The rules suck." Hermione stuck her tongue out at him.

"Yes, they suck. I have watch as the monster that killed my parents gets to live my life. I admit it isn't much of a life, but it's mine."

"I didn't think about that."

"I can't be me if he's me. This relearning thing also blows. I feel like I am becoming someone else minute by minute. By my twenty-eighth birthday, I may feel that I've always been Quirinus. That isn't fair to my mother who died to save me."

"Why are they letting him go free?"

"Because he's in a school surrounded by innocent children. I wish I could let a mountain troll loose on him."

"Harry, he knows how to do more with his wand that cover it with troll buggers."

"That's why we wait. I hate feeling helpless. I hate having a weak heart. I wouldn't mind the photos and the handshakes if I could be Harry, again." Harry stood up and walked away.


	16. The Map

Author's Notes: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**The map**

Harry sat down by Hermione at breakfast. "Can we talk?"

"Aren't you eating at the staff table?" said Hermione.

"I deserve that." Harry put a scone on his plate. "I'm sorry for my behaviour yesterday."

"I found some books on the subject." Hermione poured herself some juice.

"We'll talk in the Gryffindor common room." Harry filled a glass with juice.

Hermione said, "Even in the short term, personality traits are swapped."

"Professor Quirrell, I have an emergency." Fred sat beside Harry, unrolled sheet of parchment and said, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good. This map shows the names of everyone at Hogwarts at their present location. See I'm F. Weasley. Can't lie to it. G. Weasley is loafing."

Harry took the map, not noticing that a few students sitting nearby could have seen it. "F. Weasley, H. Granger and H. Potter; that must be us." The map's magic wouldn't lie for him either.

Fred whispered, "H. Potter. Oh shit, the 'H' stands for Harry. You don't have amnesia. I should burn this map. Mischief managed."

"Dumbledore believed in me enough to insist on the veritaserum." Harry put some eggs on his plate. "All the healers thought I was lying about being Harry. They had me chained to a bed."

"Dumbledore stood up the nurse and told her that Professor Quirrell was under his employ and he was taking responsibility for him," Hermione said.

"If Headmaster Dumbledore didn't believe in me, I would be in Azkaban," Harry said. "I'll never be able to repay him."

"I was holding the map when Harry Potter walked by," said Fred, "You're Harry Potter, aren't you? Well, the 'not you person' was labelled T. Riddle. I hoped our Defence Against Dark Arts professor would have an answer, and you're a clueless second year."

"It's a secret," whispered Hermione. "You say anything and he doesn't get his body back."

"I don't know much about magical maps. Professor Lupin would probably know more." Harry sipped his juice. "After we eat a proper breakfast, we'll talk to Professor Lupin."

xxxx

When he was done eating, Harry took the map from Fred and went to Remus's quarters. After Remus invited Hermione, Fred and Harry into his room, Harry handed Remus the map.

"Where did you get this?" asked Remus. "I thought I lost it forever."

"George and I found it in Filch's desk," said Fred.

"I wrote it while I was in Hogwarts," said Remus. "Filch confiscated it. I'm Moony. My friends, Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail helped with it. They watched and gave unwanted advice while I did the work."

Fred said, "Then we came to the right person."

"Do you have a question about the map?" Remus asked.

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good," said Fred.

"James came up with that. We thought no one would guess that," said Remus.

"George said it to me while the map was in view. Lucky accident. George says wonky things for no appearant reason. We Weasleys are spontaneous blokes," said Fred. "I crossed Harry Potter's path and the map marked him as T. Riddle."

Remus said, "Professor Quirrell put a privacy screen on the door."

Harry did as told.

Remus said, "Now we can talk. Hermione already knows the answer."

"T. Riddle is the name Voldemort was born with," said Hermione. "We can't burn the map. This may be our only proof that You-Know-Who is in Harry Potter's body."

"You can't be Harry," Fred shouted. "But the map is never wrong. Still you're no second year. You're a better teacher than the original Quirrell."

"Thanks." Harry felt a bit on the spot. "The longer I stay in Quirrell's body the more like him I become."

"You shake like Quirrell," said Fred.

"I have his emotions," said Harry. "He faked the stutter. The shaking was real."

"Do you have his memories, too?" asked Fred.

"No," said Harry, "but I can relearn everything he knew after a couple tries. Please, don't call me Harry. I'm Professor Quirrell. You can call me Inus when you aren't around the other students."

"Inus is his name for himself," said Hermione. "Professor Quirrell didn't use a nickname."

"Never got close enough to anybody," said Harry.

"You got close to You-Know-Who," teased Fred.

Harry shuddered. A shiver went from the base of his spine to his shoulders.

"You-Know-Who pushed Harry out of his own body," said Remus. "Inus, you shouldn't feel guilty for existing."

Harry said, "Professor Lupin's best mate is in prison and their friends, James and Lilly Potter and Peter Pettigrew are deceased," implying that Remus was the one who felt guilty for existing.

The map showed P. Pettigrew practically overlapping R. Weasley.

Harry continued talking, "Dumbledore lectured Professor Lupin about not caring for himself."

Remus grabbed the map and interrupted, "Wormtail is alive. He's either sitting on your brother's lap or he's that rat Ron always carries around. How long has he had that rat?"

"Scabbers used to be Percy's rat," said Fred. "I'm not sure. We've always had him - ten or eleven years."

"Rats normally don't live more than three or four years. He's Peter. He didn't come forward to clear Sirius or condemn him, which means he knows something," said Remus.

"I can use Body-bind on him," said Fred.

"He sees me, and he may run off," said Remus. "G. Weasley is now in the Great Hall with Ron and the rat. You bind the rat and give him to Dumbledore. Inus and I can take it from there."

"Understood. I'll offer to take Scabbers back to the dormitory," said Fred. "Very Double-O-Seven."

"Be careful," said Remus. "Wormtail knows about the map."

"Mischief managed." Fred rolled the map.

xxxx

Author's Notes: Peter squeaks next chapter.


	17. Rat and Dog

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Rat and Dog** (no cat)

Dumbledore owled Remus and Harry to come to his office. "Why did Misters Fred and George Weasley give me a Body-Bound rodent and tell me to contact you?"

"Peter Pettigrew's animagus form is rat," said Remus. "When Peter and I were students, we -"

"- allowed James and Sirius to get you into trouble," finished Dumbledore. "And?"

"I made this map, so my friends could visit me without getting caught," said Remus.

"I don't think I want to know this," said Dumbledore.

"I'm not a student anymore," said Remus.

"Quirinus, leave," said Dumbledore.

Harry left the office. Remus made the map for his friends to visit him. This was getting curiouser and curiouser to paraphrase Lewis Carroll. Harry wasn't the only one with secrets, and Severus and Dumbledore knew Remus's secret.

Less than a half hour later, Remus came out Dumbledore's office. He was smiling, beaming. Harry didn't know the sad dishevelled man was capable of feeling such happiness. Harry hugged his friend.

Remus hugged him back. "The rat squeaked. Sirius is coming home. Dumbledore is going to let Sirius live with me until the end of the term."

"That's wonderful," said Harry.

"I was cool," said Remus. "When he tried to deny any wrong doing I said, 'I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend eleven years as a rat.'"

"You didn't," gushed Harry.

"After losing my four best friends in a matter of a few days, nothing fazes me. When Dumbledore and I changed Peter into human, I said 'Well, hello, Peter. Long time, no see.'"

"We have to celebrate," said Harry.

"We can over butterbeer when we go over tomorrow's lessons," Remus said. "I haven't seen Sirius in so long. I went to Azkaban to visit at first, but it hurt so much when he would tell me he was innocent."

"You stopped going." Harry walked downstairs to the professor's quarters.

"It hurt so much. If I only knew Peter was alive earlier, so much for be different."

"You can't blame yourself."

"He's my best mate. I should have believed him. Dumbledore is only your boss and he believed you. I let Sirius down."

"He appreciated the times you did visit."

"I visited for me, not for him." Remus walked in front of Harry. "I was selfish."

"He still must have enjoyed the company." Harry walked beside Remus. "You're too hard on yourself. You can't change the past. I want to go back and prevent my parents from dying, but Dumbledore says a time turner doesn't work that way. You can be here for Sirius when he gets home."

Remus muffed Harry's hair. "You're awful smart for a twelve year old."

Harry blushed. "I have Quirrell in here with me." His blush, his rosy cheeks, made him different from the original owner of this body. Poppy commented about his colour being better. Also his raven black hair was no longer limited to his head. He had dark hair on his legs, his underarms and other areas that weren't mentioned in mixed company.

"You can relearn what is in his brain, but your mind is all Harry." Remus put an arm around him. "Let's enjoy that autumn sunshine and take a walk to Hogsmeade for that butterbeer."

xxxx

In three days time, Harry and Hagrid joined Remus to get Sirius. Remus helped a tall frail man into a boat leaving Azkaban. "Sirius, you remember Rubeus Hagrid. This is Inus Quirrell. You remember him as Harry Potter."

Hagrid started rowing the boat across the bay to the mainland.

"I haven't been in prison that long," said Sirius.

"Voldemort stole my body. The man that was using this body before died serving Voldemort," said Harry. "It's a bit older than my original body, but it was only dead a few minutes before I moved in."

"Are you sure he's Harry?" asked Sirius.

"The map doesn't lie," said Remus. "That's how we found Peter. Inus has grown into a fine young man. Lilly and James would be proud."

"I teach Defence Against Dark Arts," said Harry. "I'm a bit young, but I battled Voldemort twice and lived to tell about it."

Sirius touched Harry's cheek.

"I have a few scars. The magic Lilly gave me burns Voldemort's flesh and/or the flesh of people possessed by him. Ironic, I marked myself." Harry smiled then changed the subject. "Remus teaches Care of Magical Creatures."

Sirius barked - human being barking unnerved Harry - but that was probably the way he laughed. Sirius also slapped his leg. Yes, he was laughing.

"Severus laughed, too," said Harry. "I'm missing something."

"Snivellus laughed," said Sirius.

"He smirked," said Harry. "The closest Severus comes to laughing."

After Hagrid had rowed the boat halfway to shore, Remus said, "I know all your secrets. You can know mine. You know your Latin. Sirius is -"

"Bright," said Harry. "It's the dog star."

"And?" said Remus.

"Lupin is wolf. Those are your animagus forms," said Harry. "Dementors only bother humans; they have no interest in canines. You were sneaking into Azkaban for doggie sex. Gross!"

"Just when you forget," said Remus, "he reminds you that he's twelve."

"You teach?" Sirius had his head leaning on Remus's shoulder and Remus was petting his head.

"He's a good teacher," said Remus. "Dumbledore hired me to watch after Inus. Having a twelve year old teach was Fudge's idea."

"The man is the fool," said Sirius. "Remmie, let him guess. Inus, think Defence Against Dark Arts."

Harry thought a moment. "Remus's nickname was Moony. He took ill a couple days in September and October - 28 days apart. He's a werewolf."

"There's hope for you," said Sirius.

"Severus knows you're a magical creature." Harry read about werewolves in his books. "Do you eat people?"

"No, I take medication to prevent that," said Remus. "Sirius once tried to feed Severus to me and James saved his life."

"No wonder Severus dislikes you more than he dislikes everyone else," Harry said. "Rube, did you know?"

"Dumbledore planted the Whompin' Willow ter keep people from botherin' Remus. I covered fer him." Hagrid kept rowing. "Dumbledore wanted Remus ter get a proper education 'cause Remus was bit young."

Remus scratched behind Sirius's ears. "When we get to Hogwarts, you can spend as much time as dog as you want. You'll be free. No one will chain you, again."

Sirius licked his face.

"You have to try to act human for the guard at the boathouse," Remus said. "You're an unregistered animagus."

Sirius nodded.

"They won't send him back to Azkaban?" asked Hagrid.

"They could," said Remus.

After the boat docked, Remus helped Sirius off the boat and onto dry land. The taller man bent his head slightly under the hood of his Mac. After they had been rowing in the slight rain, it felt a bit silly to take shelter in the little wooden boathouse with its roaring fire. Actually, Hagrid insisted on doing all the rowing. He had the strongest arms, Remus had to comfort his mate and Harry had a weak heart.

The guard gave Sirius a brief glance. "Everything checks. He's free to go."

"He was falsely imprisoned for eleven years and he's free to go," shouted Remus. "I should sue the lot of you."

"Are you a relative?" asked the guard.

"His parents and brother are deceased," said Remus. "I'm sure his cousins would support me - Andromeda Black Tonks and Narcissa Black Malfoy."

"I just work here," said the boathouse guard.

Harry said, "Can we use your floo to get back to Hagrid's hut? Hagrid and I don't have apparation licenses, and it's nasty weather."

Dumbledore let them through. After they were in the hut a couple minutes, Sirius changed into a dog and licked Remus's face. Sirius's tail was wagging - he was one happy black dog.

"Snuffles, you're a good boy." Remus petted the large thin dog.

Dumbledore said, "The house elves will make you something."

"Bring it to our room," said Remus. "We have some catching up to do."

Dumbledore hugged Remus then hugged the dog before leaving Hagrid's hut. Then Remus hugged Hagrid and Hagrid bent down, so Sirius could lick his face.

"Yeh a beaut'," Hagrid said.

Remus and Sirius left Harry and Hagrid in the cottage alone.

"We have the cottage to ourselves." Harry sat on Hagrid's lap and kissed the bushy-faced giant's cheek. "I want to do more than kiss."

"Yeh're twelve," said Hagrid. "It isn't right."

"Dumbledore wants me to wait five years to get my apparation license, but I'm not waiting five years to make love to you."

Hagrid put his arms around Harry. "Yeh love me now; yeh'll love me in five years. Remus waited eleven years fer his love."

"I have these urges," said Harry.

"That's what yehr hand's fer." Hagrid put his hand in Harry's thick hair and rubbed his head.

"I'm physically an adult."

"I was as big as an adult at ten; don't make yeh an adult. Book knowledge isn't experience. Only life give yeh that."

"I love you." Harry snuggled in Hagrid's arms.

"I love yeh enough ter wait. Let's enjoy the fire."

"Why is Sirius like that? Changing into a dog one night a month to keep his mate company wouldn't make him like that. He looks more dog than man."

"Them dementors drain 'way yehr happiness," said Hagrid. "Can't touch no dog."

"Was he a dog most of the last eleven years?" Harry wondered how the other prisoners must have reacted. They probably gave the dog food and left him alone. He was accused of killing a street full of muggles. Everyone in the prison was probably afraid of him. He might have changed back to human only the few times a human guard took a head count.

"Don't know." Hagrid said.

"Hermione says you take on the traits of the body you occupy. Sirius barks, licks people, and rubs his head against Remus. He kept his happiness at what cost."

"Yeh happy with yehrself - yehr hut's a castle."

"Remus and Sirius are together, again. Who am I to say a bad word?"

"I'll get yeh a blanket. Sleep in me hut tonight." Hagrid moved Harry off his lap and onto the sofa. He propped Harry's head on a pillow and put a wool blanket over the young man.

"I love you, Rube." Harry closed his eyes and curled under the blanket.


	18. Morning After

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Morning After**

Harry went to the Great Hall for breakfast. If he acted like he slept in his own bed, no one would question him.

Sirius, a large thin dog, was sitting at Remus's feet as Remus fed him sausages, bacon and mash. Sirius's black fur was stringy and curled from last night's rain. He reminded Harry of the illustrations of the Grim found in his textbooks - not the kind of animal one would like to meet in an alley. Once he had a proper bath, he would look more civilised and less like the bringer of death.

"Snuffles, you can go to class with me today, but you need to find your own fun tomorrow," said Remus.

Harry said, "I think your friend isn't fully there. He barks and licks faces when he's human."

"The dementors couldn't attack him while he was a dog. You only spent one night in Azkaban. What do you know?" Remus continued to feed Sirius bacon.

"I'm a child and you know so much." Harry got up and found a seat at the Gyffindor table.

"You're Ravenclaw," said Seamus. "Sit at their table."

Neville said in soft tones, "He's Harry."

Hermione kicked Neville.

McGonagall tapped Harry on the shoulder. "Mr. Finnigan is right. You should sit with your own house."

Harry stood. "Minerva, may I speak with you a moment?"

Minerva gestured to the staff table and found then two seats. "Inus, talk."

"Half the professors know something about me that Dumbledore should have told you," said Harry.

"You aren't going to ask me about the weather with that introduction," said Minerva.

"Harry Potter hasn't been himself since he fought You-Know-Who and me."

"He's a much better student now. He's in the dorm at lights out. All my students should be as well-behaved."

"Don't you think that is odd considering his behaviour last year?"

"I suppose. Where is this conversation going and what does Mr. Potter have to do with you?"

"I told Wizengamot I didn't remember being Quirinus Quirrell until I woke up on the stretcher because I remember being someone else before."

"Harry Potter." Minerva laughed. "And he's you. You were a nervous little boy that grew into a nervous young man. Harry Potter may not be acting like himself, but he isn't acting like you."

"Forget it." Harry pushed his plate away. "I'm suddenly not very hungry. I'm going to get some reading done before my first class."

Remus went over to him. "Inus, are you okay?"

"I'm fabulous," Harry said with sarcasm. "Rube thinks I'm too young for a sexual relationship, you're encouraging Sirius to stay on four feet and Minerva thinks I'm crazy."

Remus put an arm on the shorter man's shoulders. "I want Sirius to be happy. It's up to him whether he does so on two or four feet. He has to learn to make choices for himself."

"You let him eat from your plate," Harry said. "He isn't going to make any choices. He'll let you do it for him. He's used to the prison system deciding for him."

"Let's talk in my room," Remus suggested. "This discussion involves Sirius. A naked dog is one thing - a naked man is quite another."

Harry followed Remus and Sirius to their rooms. Sirius became human and put on a dressing gown.

"Inus, I'm your godfather," said Sirius. "I tell you what to do."

"Tell me what to do," said Harry. "Merlin knows, I'm fucking everything up and could use a godfather."

"You need to live your own life," said Sirius. "You shouldn't try to continue someone else's. Fudge is a portly man who likes green bowlers. He isn't God."

"I want to be in Hogwarts," said Harry. "I have access to a library and professors. People know I'm Inus, not the bloke that had this body before. He stuttered and wasn't a people person."

"Are you happy?" Sirius asked.

Harry felt on the spot. "Reasonably so. I enjoy teaching. I have friends."

Remus said, "He has natural talent. When Dumbledore told me the situation, I thought I would be teaching the class, but Inus's been teaching since the first day."

"You don't need to finish another person's life," said Sirius. "I had eleven years taken from me. I need to find my way. I don't know what yours is, but it isn't finishing some Death Eater's life for him. That much I know. Your parents wouldn't want that for you."

"Voldemort pushed me out of my own body. He killed my parents. I have his face etched into the back of my head. I didn't ask for any of this," Harry said in a loud strong voice, trying not to yell. This was all forced on him; he was doing his best to cope. Some days he did better than others. And today wasn't turning out to be one of his better days.

"Your parents made me responsible for seeing you grow into a proper young man," said Sirius. "I wasn't able to attend to your needs for eleven years. Prison taught me the world shall continue even if you aren't a part of it. You need to sniff the flowers."

"Quirrell's mum would have loved for me to stay home and go on the dole. That isn't me," Harry explained, besides Quirrell wasn't a Death Eater. He was Voldemort's tool for getting the Stone. He was an object to Voldemort - to be used and tossed aside.

"Sirius, he works very hard," said Remus. "He prepares his own lessons. I go over them with him, but after that he's on his own."

"He's a child," said Sirius. "He should be playing draughts and flying kites."

"You're his godfather," Remus said, "You see that he does those things. Inus and I have work in ten minutes. My class is outside. A dressing gown isn't proper attire."

Sirius returned to being a dog.


	19. Young and Foolish

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Young and Foolish**

Dumbledore entered Harry's class and sat patiently in back until the students left.

Harry walked over to Dumbledore. "How am I doing?"

"Good. You didn't stutter at all," Dumbledore said.

"I stuttered a number of times," said Harry. "But it's nice that you didn't notice."

"We all pause on our words once in a while."

"Is there any reason you felt the urge to observe me today?" Harry said.

"Professor Lupin has taken over Care of Magical Creatures and I needed to see how you were managing alone," Dumbledore said.

"I have Remus go over my lesson plans with me. I also have Filius tutor me once a week. Remus is threatening to teach me potions."

"Severus is protective of his lab," said Dumbledore.

"Severus and I butt heads, but Severus seems to give Remus a bit of leeway." Harry erased his blackboard. "What are you seeing me about? You didn't come here to catch up."

"You told Minerva. Do you want aurors in the school? How about dementors? Minerva believes in law and order. She has trouble understanding that things have a proper time and place," Dumbledore said.

"I'm sorry. Finnigan complained about me sitting at the Gryffindor table. Neville saw my name on Remus's map. If I didn't say something to Minerva, the whole table could have known."

"Blast those magical objects. The truth is a tricky thing."

"Isn't the truth suppose to set you free?" Harry sat behind his desk.

"I have Voldemort in my school," said Dumbledore. "And instead of carting him off to Azkaban, I'm showing him every courtesy. I'm the one aiding and abetting. As the Yank presidents say, the buck stops here."

"You should have the dementors kiss him during winter break," suggested Harry. "Less people get hurt that way.'

"I'm asking a twelve year old boy for advice."

"I'm missing lunch," said Harry.

"You're handling this so well." Dumbledore put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Inus, my boy, you should get a medal."

"I'm certifiable and I'm not in prison because I have no memory of the crimes I committed. That isn't the same thing as not committing the crimes." Harry stood up and walked over to the door, but didn't open it.

"You didn't do those things." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"Minerva thinks I did. She acted like I was crazy."

"She didn't think you were that crazy. She wanted me to confirm what you told her. I denied it and said you were trying to fill in the emptiness with memories - any memories." Dumbledore looked at Harry's blackboard and not Harry. His twinkle was gone. "She has Voldemort in her House and he is a Legilimens. Our safety depends on her ignorance."

"Sirius gave me advice this morning. He said I should be me."

"That's good advice," said Dumbledore.

"I should be attending Hogwarts as a student," said Harry. "Sirius and Moony talk about their good old days at Hogwarts. I will never have that."

"You want me to have Sibyll teach you astral projection. Then you can try to enter your own body after the dementors kiss him. I can't promise that it will work."

"I shall try." Harry went back to his seat. "It seems ironic that I only have one year at Hogwarts and I'm teaching other children. This Tuesday is Moony's night and next Tuesday is my birthday."

"Tuesday is the full moon," said Dumbledore.

"You weren't going to tell me." Harry opened the door. "I'm the Defence Against Dark Arts professor. I'm doing a chapter on werewolves next month, and I wasn't going to guess?"

"Good-bye, Inus." Dumbledore waved as he walked out.

"Good-bye, Albus." Harry opened his book - no lunch today. The werewolves in the book seemed more dangerous than Remus claimed he was. His friends wouldn't have snuck out of see him if he couldn't recognise them. Sirius had kept him company during full moons. Nothing in his book said anything about animagi having protection against werewolves - only that werewolves only ate humans. Harry would have to talk to Remus about stereotypes and unfair prejudge against magical creatures, especially werewolves.

Harry put down his book and ran to the Great Hall. No running in the halls didn't apply to professors or didn't apply to Severus. Severus's robe billowed behind him as he ran. Severus was always running somewhere. Harry, normally, tried not to run. However, he needed to get to the Great Hall before Remus left for his afternoon class. He made it in time.

Sirius was sitting under Remus's seat, stealing from Remus's plate.

Minerva said, "Get that mutt his own bowl."

Remus said, "He's clean. Probably cleaning that you; definitely cleaner than Sev."

Harry said, "Remus, you need to cover my afternoon class. Tell Kettleburn you can't assist him today."

"What happened?"

Harry noticed the tears running down his cheeks and wiped his face with the sleeve of his robe. "I can't say in the Great Hall. Too many people around, but it's real bad."

Remus got up and filled his pockets with sausage. "Snuffles, we have to go. This better be important. You interrupted our tea a second time today, and my man hasn't had a good meal in over eleven years."

"You have enough bangers in your pockets for two dogs," Harry remarked.

Remus walked him outside and sat near a tree. Sirius used the tree then ate from Remus's pocket. "Inus, why are you crying?"

"Dumbledore is going to," Harry cried. "Going to. He's going to let the dementors kiss him."

"Kiss who?" asked Remus.

"Me, Voldemort, my body," said Harry. "I failed when I tried to switch back, but if my body is dead."

Remus threw some sausages onto the cold fall ground. After Sirius starting eating the sausages, Remus hugged Harry. "I'll teach your classes. You can take the afternoon off. You give Kettleburn my apologizes."

"Fair enough." Harry wrapped himself in the older man's arms and cried. "Dumbledore said I should get a medal. I won't. People see me as weak-minded. Professor Quirrell was led astray by Voldemort. I'm either evil or a fool."

"They see you as a victim in all this. They believe you to be stronger since you survived it. No one sees you as an evil. They're impressed that you returned to teaching instead of hiding in shame and self-pity." Remus pulled out of the hug and returned to petting his dog.

"Spoiling that dog won't bring your friend back," Harry stated.

"He spoke to you this morning." Remus stroked the dog's back. "He needs time. His mother had disowned him. She died while he was in prison. They never made amends."

"He told me life went on when he was in Azkaban."

"He doesn't have a job and all that is left of his family is a couple cousins. We talked last night," Remus said, petting him as Sirius licked his face. "He forgives me. He has a dog's sense of loyalty, not that I deserve that."

"Keep feeding him bangers and all you will have is a fat, happy dog."

"I can't give up on him. Everyone else has." Remus started walk back to the school.

"He isn't that fifteen year old boy you fell in love with," said Harry.

"We both have changed," said Remus. "We both have been on our own for too long. When I wasn't around running water, I would have an animal clean my plate. Sirius is immune to my saliva; you aren't. The strange things you do when you are homeless."

"I won't get hairy eating from your bowl." Harry started petting Sirius.

"Probably not, but why risk it. I was bitten as a child. My parents would tie me up every month to keep me from killing people. I learned from a young age to keep my bodily fluids to myself."

Sirius licked Harry.

"He can share his spit with anyone." Remus laughed. "Snuffles, I have to cover for Inus. You be good."

Sirius wagged his tail.

"Come on, Snuffles. We'll give Kettleburn our regrets," Harry led Sirius to the stables and walked over to Kettleburn. "Remus is covering for me. Sirius has been in his animagus form since he's come back from Azkaban because his one suit was ruined in the rain. He's my godfather. It would be my honour to help him shop."

"Go." Kettleburn petted Sirius with his one hand. The other arm and hand had been amputated. "I wish you the best. Serving eleven years for a crime you didn't commit. I can't image."

Sirius licked Kettleburn's face.

"He can't transfigure here. The Scottish autumns are a bit crisp for a dressing gown." Harry led Sirius away from Kettleburn. "Sirius, show me how to get to Hogsmeade. I don't remember the way."

"You do so well. I forget that you have amnesia," Kettleburn said.

"I'm teaching all these students and I don't remember being in Hogwarts," said Harry. "I hate teaching from books. Then again, I met with You-Know-Who because I went out to see the world totally unprepared. I was telling Remus that everyone must see me as a fool."

"We've all been young and foolish." Kettleburn looked at his wooden foot in an oversized boot.

"I better get my godfather some clothes before the shops close." Harry looked at Sirius wagging his tail. "So long."

Sirius led Harry into a tailor shop.

"How may I help you?" asked the tailor.

"My godfather needs to be measured for clothing," said Harry.

Sirius became human and sat on a stool.

"I can't measure you around a dressing gown," said the tailor. "Are you wearing anything underneath?"

"No," said Sirius. "Azkaban didn't send me home with a complete wardrobe."

The tailor took a bag of boxers off a shelf and tossed it to Sirius. "These should fit."


	20. Sibyll

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

Sibyll

That evening, Sibyll invited Harry in for tea. "Harry, Dumbledore explained your situation. I'm supposed to teach you astral projection."

Harry sat down. "Please, don't call me Harry. I'll start crying and we'll get nothing done." Although _Potter_ couldn't delve deep into his mind without a wand and incantantion, it only took a shallow reading to notice that Harry wasn't acknowledging Professor Quirrell as his true name. Sibyll didn't understand that he needed to believe he was Professor Quirrell with every ounce of his being around _Potter_ or he was dead.

"Harry." She sat down beside him and took his hand. "You need to see yourself separate from your physical body or we are both wasting our time."

"It just that he has my body," cried Harry. "He killed my parents and -"

"Harry, if you spend the first couple sessions crying, that is all right. Remus can cover your classes. This is important work." Sibyll gave him a handful of hankies. "You need to be completely focused on this."

"If I stop teaching, he'll know I'm up to something and I'm not skilled in occlumency." Harry blew his nose. Now that he thought about it, Severus hadn't recognised his wand. Severus, a Legilimens, caught enough surface thoughts to know he was Harry. Harry couldn't make that same mistake around Voldemort.

"We'll work on it every night until you know enough to practice without me." Sibyll squeezed his hand.

Harry smiled. Sibyll squeezing his hand did something to his hormones. Funny, he didn't consider her an attractive woman. Since Hagrid did something for him, his hormones weren't particularly fussy. Then again, his body never experienced more than his hand. The unicorn blood said it all.

"You can blush," said Sibyll. "We will focus on meditating and seeing your soul as separate from your body. You have a heads-up on most people since you know your soul can survive without your body. Your living soul entered Quirrell's body when Poppy Pomfrey restarted his heart. You've done astral projection before. We shall start by using hypnosis to recall the experience."

"It's too scary," Harry cried.

"You have to remember," said Sibyll. "I'll be here to keep you safe."

"I remember the pain was terrible when I was pushed out of my own body. Worse than the burns on my hands and face."

"Harry, I can suggest that you don't feel the pain. I'll be here, keeping you safe." Sibyll said, "Are you willing to try?"

Harry nodded.

xxxx

On Saturday, Harry was outside flying a kite with Sirius. Harry watched as Sirius chased and barked at the kite. Remus was reading his books on the grass. The breeze changed and the kite got tangled in a tree.

Sirius changed to human to help Harry get the kite out of the tree. He had on an old fashioned suit without the outdoor robes. Harry wondered if Sirius was cold. An animagus had on whatever he was wearing before he changed shape. Sirius could have trouble once winter came.

Harry pushed a stray hair from his eyes. "Did my mother curse me to have my father's hair?"

"That's a strange thing to ask," Sirius said, climbing the tree. "You stay down here. I'll get it."

"I thought you wanted me to climb trees."

When Sirius smiled, it was like his gaunt face was ten years younger. Harry could see Sirius was a handsome man before his incarceration. A few more bangers and Sirius would be handsome, again. "You can climb the next one."

After taking off his robes, Harry pulled himself up into a Y intersect of a large branch and the trunk. His palms were scratched and his trousers were muddy. "Get the kite for me. I think I'm going to sit here."

Sirius gave two barks in rapid succession. "You're a professor. What if your students saw you?"

"I'm Mad Professor Quirrell, totally off my rocket." Harry didn't know how he was going to get down. He was only a few feet off the ground, but he could rip his trousers on a branch or, worse, rip his delicate flesh. "The kite was your idea."

Sirius pulled the kite free and it floated to the ground. Then Sirius climbed out of the tree. "I'll change into a dog and you climb onto my back horsy style."

"Brilliant," said Harry.

Sirius changed into a dog and went under Harry's branch. He barked at Harry. Harry was too frightened to jump down, but he couldn't stay up there forever. The dog leaned his front paws against the tree for support. Harry looked at the dog and the ground. It was Saturday and he didn't have class until Monday. The tree was looking cozy.

The dog barked, again. Sirius was a huge powerful dog able to support his weight. It wasn't even a foot between them. Harry lowered himself onto the dog, letting his hands let go of the tree after bum was on the dog's back. Harry put his arms around the dog's neck.

Harry, after getting off the large dog's back, hugged him. "Sirius, you can get kites from trees from now on. I'm staying on terra firma."

Sirius licked him.

Harry picked up the kite. "Let's get some lunch. You get your own plate. You aren't licking mine."

xxxx

After lunch, Harry and Sirius went to Harry's rooms. Sirius changed into human form. He sat on one of Harry's chairs and motioned to Harry to sit down.

"So you want to talk about your parents?" asked Sirius.

"You knew them well. Remus says things like my mother was the nicest person, everyone loved Lily."

"And you want the dirt?" Sirius leaned forward on his chair.

Harry put a privacy spell on the door. "Could my mum have cursed me to have my father's hair? Like people say you are going to have a tyke just like you."

"It's possible," said Sirius. "We can sneak into the Sev's lab and test your hair."

xxxx

It took nothing more than Alohomora to open the potion laboratory door. Remus joined them in the laboratory.

"How did you find us?" asked Harry.

"Sirius wrote me a note," said Remus.

Remus looked over the cauldron. "Siri, what are you making?"

"Polyjuice potion." Sirius added leeches to the pre-stewed flies. "He asked me if Lily cursed his hair. Harry, after it's done, you drink the potion. The effects (if there are any) will only last an hour."

"Sirius, do you have a wand?" asked Harry.

"They confiscated it when I went to Azkaban," said Sirius.

Remus said, "It was returned. He hasn't used it, yet."

"Why not?" asked Harry.

"It's been eleven years," said Sirius.

"You're over a hot cauldron and you expect me to drink the results," said Harry.

"I'll drink it," said Sirius.

"No, I will," said Harry. "I can take being me for an hour at a time."

"You can drink it at your birthday party," said Sirius. "As my present to you. Lucky for you, I don't need to stew the lacewing flies for 21 days. Sev already has some ready to be added to Polyjuice Potion."


	21. Beliefs

Author's Notes: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Beliefs**

After class, Voldemort knocked on the door of Professor Quirrell's office. "Come in," said slender professor. "Please, sit down." His hair was now dark and his cheeks had more colour, but the man moved like the person he had possessed last year. He only needed to look in the man's eyes to know if he was truly Quirrell.

Voldemort sat on one of the chairs in the office.

"What brings you here?" Quirrell seemed nervous by his presence.

Voldemort did not need to cast a spell to know that Quirrell was shaking. "I'm not being challenged in class. What does leprechauns and pixies have to do with Dark Arts?" Voldemort asked, trying to sound non-chalant.

"They are magical creatures known for mischief," said Quirrell. "Wee folk, while they are not dark creatures, do not behave in a way that serves our best interest. They use glamour and illusion to trick us. Potter, there's more to Dark Arts than battling You-Know-Who." Quirrell had hesitated on what to call Voldemort. He was thinking about calling him the Dark Lord or Lord Voldemort, but decided not to.

Voldemort, a Legilimens, decided to call him by name to see his reaction. "Professor Quirrell, I want to learn about real Dark Arts."

"Potter, you're only twelve." Quirrell had said "Potter" like it was a curse and didn't look up from his papers. That wasn't how someone said his own name. He obviously disliked, no hated Potter.

"I'll go," said Voldemort. "I'm sorry about the amnesia."

"I'm sorry, too." Quirrell was thinking that he was lucky his younger self left good notes.

Voldemort could spot a lie without using a wand, and this awkward nervous man believed he was Quirrell with amnesia. Voldemort got up from his seat.

"I'll see you in class," said Quirrell.

Voldemort walked out. He didn't wave good-bye because Quirrell wouldn't have seen him wave. Dumbledore must have wanted to believe Quirrell was the true Harry Potter because he didn't want to believe that his saviour was dead. Dumbledore and his half-giant cohort still knew too much and were a threat.

He would have them killed during winter holiday. He would like to have the mudblood Granger framed for their deaths, but there wasn't time. Granger, he would have to deal with separately.

xxxx

Harry sighed after _Potter_ was gone for more than a minute. He hoped everything Remus taught him about Occlumency paid off. In class, there were too many students around for _Potter_ to read Harry well. However, from day one, Harry told himself to think of himself as Quirrell. He needed to believe he was Quirrell because Legilimens could read lies.

He knew he was anxious around Voldemort then the previous Quirrell was afraid of everything, including his students. Voldemort would know that. He went over to see Remus.

Remus was in a nightshirt and Sirius was on his bed, their bed. "You look more anxious than usual," said Remus. "What happened?"

"_Potter_ tried to read me," said Harry. "I wouldn't let him look in my eyes. He left looking frustrated."

"That's a good thing," said Remus.

Sirius was under the blankets. "If I had that map, I would track him down and kill him."

Remus climbed onto the bed and put an arm on Sirius's naked back. "That's why you aren't getting the map. Inus can't return to his body if it's dead."

"You-Know-Who isn't going to leave Harry's body while it is alive," said Sirius. "He wants to rule the wizard world. Harry Potter's body is the perfect vehicle to do that. Remmie, don't give Inus false hope."

"Sirius is naked," said Harry.

"This castle is chilly," said Sirius. "I'm going to get furry or put on a dressing gown."

"I didn't like being in the room with him," said Harry. "I wonder if he noticed I hesitated on saying You-Know-Who. I thought about what you said about not calling him the Dark Lord, but Severus called him that and it feels right. I can't explain it."

"You have Quirrell's pathways in your head. It's only natural you would feel that way," said Remus.

"I don't want to serve him," said Harry. "I hate him for killing my father and mother."

"Do you think he saw your hate?" asked Remus.

"No, I only think he saw my fear. I tried to kill Harry twice. It's okay for me to hate him. Amnesia means I can feel things and not know why."

Sirius wrapped himself in the blanket.

Remus put an arm around Sirius. "Inus, tomorrow is the full moon. Siri and I need some time alone."

"He said he was sorry about my amnesia. He wanted to catch me in a lie, but me having amnesia isn't a lie. Flitwick says I don't respond to his tutoring like a second year. Quirrell's knowledge and memories are here." Harry pointed to his head. "I just can't reach them. Sibyll wants me to lie and say I'm Harry. I'm not Harry. I can't be Harry when Voldemort is Harry."

Remus, still in only in a nightshirt, was cuddling naked Sirius. Harry felt like a child interrupting his parents in bed.

"Inus, Dumbledore says Riddle was a perfect student. Unless we bring in aurors to arrest him, Riddle won't step out of line," said Remus.

"He killed an elf," said Sirius.

"An elf that was breaking and entering," said Remus. "I'm sure Riddle is planning to destroy Dumbledore and the rest of the Order, but he isn't going to do it in a public way."

Sirius moved closer to Remus. "James says I was a better dog than person. He said that people talk around dogs; they even have sex around dogs. As a dog, I could get more secrets than a man in a cloak."

Harry recalled James had a cloak of invisibility - a cloak that was now in Voldemort's possession. Harry walked toward the door. "I'll go." He waved good-bye before going to see Sibyll for his evening lesson. Sirius couldn't have known he had betrayed everyone by sharing his secrets with Peter.

Harry told Sibyll about_ Potter_ seeing him. They did mostly relaxation exercises since Harry was in no space to do astral projection. Harry had to go over his lessons for tomorrow's classes alone. Remus wanted to spend the night before his transformation with his lover. Harry walked from Sibyll's tower to his rooms in the dungeon alone.

Talking to Dumbledore would be no help. He knew so little. His lack of knowledge about Sirius and the others being animagi meant, even his own people had been doing things behind his back. Besides a sweet and a pat on the back from Dumbledore wouldn't make things better. Harry wanted to curl up in bed and cry.

He thought about going over to see Severus and confronting him about lying about the wand. Severus must have read Harry's mind. How much could a Legilimens read from someone's mind without looking into his eyes or doing an incantation? Harry didn't want to ask Severus. The man may have not hated him, but he certainly disliked him.

Harry knocked on Severus's door. He would probably yell "Go away!", but it was worth a try. At least, with Severus, Harry wasn't likely to be interrupting sex. Wearing a silver and green dressing gown, Severus came to the door. "What do you want?" Severus snarled.

"Potter came to my office," said Harry.

"Come in," said Severus. "We wouldn't want any Slytherins overhearing."

Harry entered the man's rooms and sat on his sofa.

Severus locked the door. "Talk."

"Did you know I was Harry because of my wand or something else?" asked Harry.

"Your mind was screaming you were Harry." Severus continued to stand.

"And now?" Harry had to ask.

"You accept that you're Quirrell. You teach with Quirrell's knowledge and experience. Even you can't deny the truth."

"Would he know that I see Voldemort when I look at him or did he just sense my fear?" Harry shivered. In some ways, Severus was scarier than Voldemort.

"Just sense your fear." Severus walked over to him and stared down at him. "Unless your mind was screaming Voldemort. A mind isn't a book that can be read. Legilimency is an art, not an exact science. I wish you wouldn't call him by name."

"It unnerves Remus when I call him the Dark Lord and I can't call him You-Know-Who around you. Calling him Master feels better, but that would upset Remus more." Harry knew he was hugging himself to keep the shiver under control. He wished his knees would stop shaking.

"Inus, I told Albus I would teach you Potions. Once you are marked by the Dark Lord, you are his forever. Albus doesn't understand this. You and I do."

Harry got up. "Good night."

Severus opened the door for him. "Inus, call anytime."

Harry left and went to his bedroom. Severus seemed to enjoy being creepy. However, Harry did learn a thing or two. He was Voldemort's forever - marked forever.


	22. Hobbit Feet

Author's Notes: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Hobbit Feet**

On Tuesday (Moony's night), Sibyll said, "We can call it a night. I can't have you do actual astral projection. You aren't grounded in this body and I can't have you not coming back."

"I'm grounded in this body," said Harry.

"You never tried leaving this body." Sibyll twirled one of her scarves. "When we do it in class, the students always return to their own bodies. Your body has someone else in it."

Harry pointed to his chest. "This is my body."

"It isn't." Sibyll played with her long stringy hair. "We can't risk you being trapped in the astral plane."

"I can practice meditating on my own." Harry got up and left. It was Moony's night, so the wolf and the dog were in the Shrieking Shack. Harry never really paid full moons much mind before. Under the moonlight, he walked to Hagrid's hut.

He cuddled by the fire with his bloke. "Rube, I can tell by the howls Sirius and Remus are having a grand time." Harry unbuttoned Hagrid's shirt. Wouldn't he know the bloke would have on bloody long johns like a lumberjack? Harry wasn't going to be disheartened. He put his hand under the thermal underwear and touched Hagrid's woolly chest hair. "I need you so bad."

Hagrid kissed the top of Harry's head. "Yeh're worth the wait."

"My birthday is next week," said Harry. "And I can't wait to open my present."

"Buddy, yeh know I love yeh. Life comes from livin'. Yeh can't rush it." His arms held Harry in a warm embrace.

"I'm going to be twenty-eight next week. In five years, I'll be thirty-three."

"Young in wizard years."

"An adult in Hobbit years." Harry took off his shoes and put his socking feet on the sofa. "These aren't Hobbit feet."

Hagrid took off Harry's socks. "Not furry enough."

"You read _The Lord of the Rings_?" Harry moved off Hagrid's lap and repositioned himself so his feet were on Hagrid's lap.

"No, I read _The Hobbit_."

"I only read_ The Hobbit_ from beginning to end." Harry admitted. "I have too much reading for school - only got to Chapter 3 in _The Fellowship of the Ring_."

"Yeh should have time fer readin'. Dumbledore works yeh too hard."

"I have my reading for my classes. I have my lessons with Filius on Sunday and now I have to learn astral projection. Moony going to be sleeping off his big night the next few days, so I have to cover for him."

"No talkin'. Yeh rest in yehr head on me shoulder."

"I come up to your chest when I sit on your lap." Harry leaned against Hagrid and closed his eyes. "I hear three voices."

"Fang is barkin' back." Hagrid sat up. "I ought ter bring him in. He'll be wantin' ter join the party."

Harry sat up and put on his socks and shoes. "I'll be going. I'll be short my assistant tomorrow."

"Put yehr Hobbit feet on me lap anytime." Hagrid opened the door for Harry then he went out to bring Fang inside and check his other animals. Harry watched Hagrid a moment and then started the walk to the castle.

xxxx

Harry put a bowl for Sirius on the floor near the staff table and filled it with bangers. He then filled a bowl with tea and milk. He set that beside the first bowl. "Snuffles, I'm going to get my own breakfast."

"You give a dog tea?" said Minerva.

"And you fancy cat food?" said Harry. "The house elves make more than enough."

Minerva said, "I'm teaching my third years about animagi."

"Sirius is now registered," said Harry. "If he wants to live this way, it's his choice. He was put in prison for eleven years for being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"It isn't healthy for him." Minerva sat beside Harry. Harry wanted to tell her that Sirius was up late last night with Remus, but he didn't know how much Minerva knew and he wasn't making that mistake, again.

Remus had told him that James and Sirius were very bright and capable boys that taught themselves the difficult magic necessary to become animagi and helped Peter learn. Sirius didn't seem very bright or capable now. Remus had said that werewolves didn't eat animals, only people, so his friends figured they were safe as animals, but they didn't expect that Remus would be calmer with his friends and would start remembering his transformations.

Remus also admitted sneaking into Azkaban to be with Sirius on full moons. Harry had been right about the doggie sex. Putting Sirius in prison had the side effect of Remus returning to violent painful transformations. Improvements in wolfsbane helped but medication couldn't replace his lover.

"Having dementors suck your happiness away for eleven years isn't healthy," said Harry. "I was in Azkaban one night and I remember this awful coldness, a chill that went straight through the bones. If I could have escaped by changing into a dog, I would have and that was only one night."

Harry poured himself his own tea with milk. He ate an apple then buttered a scone to eat while drinking his tea. Watching Sirius eat, Harry ate his scone and drank his tea. Harry had Quirrell's nervous and limbic systems, meaning trembled now, his nerves got shot faster and, while he didn't stutter, his speech wasn't as fluent as it had been before and that was going from one human body to another. Going from human to dog had to be more dramatic.

Sirius talked, dressed himself, conducted business in Hogsmeade and wrote letters. Sirius told Harry that he needed to be himself. Sirius also needed to find his place in the world. He had the love of Remus. Harry found their love to be amazing and at the same time simple.

A young lady came over to Sirius and went to pet him.

Harry grabbed her hand. "You never bother a dog while he is eating."

"He's finished his food," said the young lady.

Sirius was lapping his weak tea.

"He's drinking his tea," said Harry.

"I'm Dora Tonks," said the woman. "It's alright that you don't recognize me. My appearance changes. Sirius is my cousin once removed."

Harry let go of her hand. "Sorry."

"Professor Quirrell, you aren't a leper."

"I had his face on the back of my head." Harry sat back on his chair. "People aren't real comfortable with me."

"You aren't Professor Quirrell." Miss Tonks had no doubt in her voice.

"I'm not?" Harry took another apple.

"No, your accent is wrong," explained Miss Tonks. "I would say Surrey. I want to be an auror after I finish. I figure with my ability I can disguise myself as other people. I can look like anybody, but sounding like them is quite a feat."

The dog changed into a man. Sirius stood. His robe was open to reveal one of the suits Harry helped him pick out - the understated grey one - Sirius looked handsome in everything. "Nymphadora, I haven't seen you since you were a babe. Your mum is one of the few members of my family that would speak to me after my mum disowned me." He offered her his hand.

She shook his hand. "Sirius, people are more likely to talk to you if you're human."

"I find it the other way around." Sirius took an empty seat at the staff table. "And as a hound, I don't need to talk back."

"You'll ask to pet a strange dog, but you aren't likely to hug a stranger," Harry said in agreement. "Miss Tonks, I'm having a party this weekend. My Godfather is invited. I'm sure he would love to have a family member presence and, with you there, he may stay human."

"Sirius is your godfather. That makes you Harry Potter." She laughed a sweet ladylike giggle. "You caused the scars on your face and arm before you switched bodies."

"It's all very amusing that You-Know-Who pushed me out of my own body and my soul found a freshly dead body to reanimate," said Harry.

"Professor Quirrell is dead?" said Miss Tonks.

"If he's in here with me, he's been awful quiet the last five months," said Harry. "He had a pretty nasty heart attack before Madame Pomfrey started me up, again. Madame Pomfrey says my magic is healing the damage. So you needn't be concerned."

"I've been telling Inus he needs to find his own life," said Sirius. "Quirrell's life is over. He went to his reward. As my godson, Inus is supposed listen to me on spiritual matters."

"He's twelve years old," said Miss Tonks. "He doesn't have to decide next week."

"He isn't twelve," said Sirius. "He's having his twenty-eighth birthday next week. You don't have to bring a present."

Harry got up, taking his half-eaten apple with him. "I'll leave you two to talk. I have a class to teach." Harry waved good-bye to them before exiting the hall. They looked too busy to notice him. Harry was happy that Sirius had a cousin to talk to. Now he may spend a bit more time as human.

xxxx

Author's Notes: Quirrell killed unicorns in the_ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone_. To get that close to a unicorn you need to be a virgin. Harry's hormones are getting excited by Sibyll and Hagrid, making him bisexual, but he is only 12 and too young for sexual relationship, even though he is physically a twenty-something male.


	23. Birthday

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Birthday**

Tuesday night after dinner, Remus threw a party for Harry with cake and candles - numerals "2" and "8".

Harry, seeing the lit candles and the cake, cried, "I never had a birthday party before. Hagrid gave me a cake last year, but it was ruined in travel and Dudley ate it."

Hagrid, Sirius, Dora Tonks, Remus, Hermione, and three of the Weasleys sang, "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Inus, Happy Birthday to you." There weren't enough chairs for everyone to sit, so Sirius was sitting by Remus's legs. Ron, Hermione and the twins were sitting around the coffee table where the presents and the cake were.

Remus said, "You get to blow out the candles now."

"I've witnessed Dudley's birthdays. I'm not totally ignorant." Harry blew out his two candles.

Everyone clapped.

Hermione said, "Neville refused to come. He said something about it being after lights out."

Ron said to Sirius looking at his uncombed hair, shaggy beard and wild eyes, "You're Professor Lupin's mutt."

Remus's hand was absently caressing Sirius's back. Sirius had on a suit that looked like it had been worn a few days straight. The shirt was no longer tucked in and his jacket was off. At least, his waistcoat was on and his feet weren't bare, yet. Sirius barked, yelped and sniffed the dirtiest thing he could find. Dressing him up wasn't going to make him look human. Remus must have shaved him since he only had a few days' growth.

"Why does everyone call me a mutt?" Sirius whinged.

"I like to see your papers." one of the twins said. Both twins wore matching brown jumpers. One had on blue trousers and the other had on green trousers.

"You have me there. I'm registered now as an animagus. I'm legal." Sirius smiled.

George and Fred gave Harry his first present: it was large and round.

"So I get the lavatory seat now." Harry didn't bother to open it. Ron had told him about the twins trying to give the other Harry a toilet seat.

"We'll return it to the lavatory before morning," one of them said.

"As long as it isn't Moaning Mrytle's," Hermione said.

"And what would we be doing in the girl's loo?" the other twin said.

Harry went to open another present. Harry read the card. "From Ron." He tore open the paper. It was pile of comic books where the pictures moved like little films.

"Slightly used." Ron blushed, not to the point of his ears turning red.

"I haven't read them." Harry hugged Ron. "Thanks."

Hermione handed him her gift.

It was rather heavy and definitely a book. "Chronicles of Narnia," Harry said. "I'm sure it will come back to me like my lessons."

"It's your copy," Hermione said.

"Thanks." Harry kissed her cheek. Harry opened Hagrid's next - a hat and gloves. "I feel so blessed."

"Ter keep yeh warm." Hagrid kissed the tip of Harry's nose and pulled him onto the sofa.

Harry pushed Hagrid off him and took the next gift off the coffee table. "From Remus." It was a box of chocolates with a chemist label. "Use as only as directed - prevents insomnia, cures malaise, restores happiness after dementor attacks." Harry laughed and put it with the other opened presents.

Remus said, "I thought you would like it."

"Did you give Sirius chocolate?" asked Hermione.

"He gives me more than chocolate." Sirius put a hand on Remus and rubbed his nose against Remus's robe.

Dora Tonks said, "You can sit on the sofa. I'll stand."

Sirius said, "I wouldn't take a lady's seat. Cousin, my sanity has left years ago, but I can still be a gentleman."

"This is my birthday," said Harry. "Let's cut the cake. We can stare at the madman later."

Remus took the candles off the cake, took a knife from his drawer and cut the cake. "Inus gets the first slice."

Harry took his slice, sat on the floor and began eating. Hermione and Ron got their slices and joined him on the floor.

Ron said, "I thought you'd like the wizard comics. You're so proper in class."

"I still like cake, chocolate, a warm hat and gloves," said Harry, "when I'm not teaching children how to battle hags, banshees, vampires and assorted baddies."

Hermione said, "How do you kill a vampire?"

"Take its heart and its head," said Harry. "Fire works but you must burn the heart and brain. Those aren't destroyed; it will come back. Sunlight weakens them, garlic helps, running and hiding is also good. I tell you everything, and I'll have nothing to teach you when we get to that chapter in your books."

"How about a stake?" asked Ron.

"Useful for getting the heart," said Harry. "You stake them in holy ground, and they can't rise again unless the stake is removed. They aren't as easy to kill, as the cinema would have you believe. Fred and George, you better be listening. You'll be studying vampires after winter holiday."

"Wicked," said one of the twins.

Ron laughed. "I can't see Professor Snape sitting on the floor and eating cake."

"Sunlight weakens them?" said Hermione.

"That's what my book says. Granted, I haven't met one. My books have been wrong." Harry thought about to the stuff he read on werewolves. It said nothing about animagi calming werewolves. The medication Remus took was only a few years old, but it should have been mentioned in the revised edition of The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble.

"I was thinking Snape was one," said Hermione, "Had someone seen him look in a mirror?"

"It would crack," said Sirius.

Harry stared at him, remembering Sirius had tried to kill Severus when they were teenagers. The animosity between them was a bit more than house rivalry. Harry watched Sirius lift his fork and take a bit of cake, just realizing he had never seen Sirius use his hands to eat with the possible exception of his paws steadying his dish once or twice. Suddenly embarrassed, Harry looked at his now empty plate.

"He attends Quidditch matches and looks no worse for wear," said Hermione, "and that's in the sunlight. I guess vampire is out."

"He doesn't need to be supernatural to creep me out," said Ron.

"No talking about my colleagues," said Harry. "No matter how creepy they are."

"I thought you were creepy," said the twin in the blue trousers (Fred?). "Professor Lupin told me otherwise.'

"I'm living in a body I acquired after it died and that is not creepy? My godfather thinks he's a dog. And his SO has his own issues. And lets not forget, the monster that killed your uncles is inhabiting my former body." Harry recalled two of Molly Weasley's brothers had died in the last wizard war. This wasn't _Poor me, he killed my parents_. Voldemort had destroyed other families as well. "My life would make a good horror film."

Remus said, "I do not have issues."

Ron said, "And you were dressed to the nines when you arrived here? We were wondering how a homeless person got on the Hogwarts Express. Hermione said you were a professor because she read RJ Lupin on your bag."

"Everyone out," said Remus. "You had your cake. Fred, George, put the toilet seat back before Filch finds out.'

"It's Harry's present," said George, the one in the green trousers.

"Out or I'll report you to Filch," said Remus.

Fred said, "Who thought partying with two professors would be a good idea?"

Miss Tonks said, "Return the seat. I'll make sure the younger students get back to the Gyffindor dorms."

Harry added a hair from his own head to the vial of Polyjuice Potion. "I have a present for everyone."

Sirius walked over to him and put an arm around his shoulder. "We don't know what will happen."

"It's my hair. What could happen?" After he drank it down, Harry felt a bit odd but that was probably due to the taste. Through his blurring vision, he could see that he was a bit taller than Remus, but shorter than Sirius, meaning he wasn't his twelve year old self. That was for the less than half of second it took for Sirius to hit the ground. "I'm not ugly or something."

"No, Harry." Remus gave him a hand-held mirror. "You look like James. What James would have looked like if he lived to see twenty-eight."

Harry sat down. "I'm still an adult."

Remus took Harry's hand. "Lily's green eyes. I only saw you as a baby. You can do this every hour for the rest of your life, if you want."

"I can't be Harry Potter if Voldemort is Harry Potter." Harry continued to look at himself in the mirror. He had a sunken cheek and was still missing the end of his nose. Pulling a hair off the head of his own head wasn't the same thing as taking a hair from another man's head.

Remus sat down beside Sirius and stroked his cheek. "He's Harry. James is dead."

Harry kneeled down and took Sirius's hand. "Wake up. In an hour, I'll look like Quirrell, again. I can't get back the sixteen years."

Sirius opened his eyes. "Jimmy, Remmie."

"Harry, not Jimmy." Harry began to cry. "I won't do it, again. I'm not really Harry. It's magic. Stupid, foolish magic. Remus, take care of Sirius. I'll go to my room and wait this out."

xxxx

Harry ran back in his rooms and locked the door. After he took off his too tight shoes, he noticed his trousers were a bit short, but the waist fit. A hair on his head and a bit of magic wouldn't make him young. His face was soaked with tears.

A thought came to him and, Harry started to laugh through the tears. If someone wanted to impersonate the DADA professor and took a lock of his hair, he would get a surprise. He changed into Harry (not James), so his hair was simply magic. He wasn't cursed by his mother to have his father's hair.

Hermione had followed him to his room. "Harry, I can see the boy you were last year in the man."

"Ron said the hair was mine. I thought-" Harry began crying, again.

"You can't get back those years," said Hermione. "Your body is twenty-eight years old. Wizards can live to be 200. Sixteen years doesn't matter all that much."

"It doesn't matter if it's the difference between 72 and 88, but 12 and 28 are another matter." Harry sat beside Hermione. "Even if I wasn't a professor, I could be thrown in jail for dating you."

Remus knocked on the door. "May I come in?"

"Of course," Harry said.

Remus walked into the room closing the door as fast as possible. "Sirius fainted because you look so much like your father. James didn't live to your age."

"Voldemort would kill me if he saw me like this," Harry mumbled. "I made him believe I'm Quirrell. Then I do a stunt like this."

"Stay in your room until it wears off. No one will speak of it," Remus whispered.

Harry cried, "I feel so old."

"You aren't old." Remus hugged him.

"I should be Hermione's age." Harry shed a few more silent tears.

"Your hair like the rest of your body is twenty-eight years old," said Remus. "Or believes itself to be. It grew in while you were in hospital, but it's attached to this body. Magic is a complex thing."

"I'm not going to take Polyjuice Potion for the rest of my life," said Harry. "The whole thing is stupid."

"No, it isn't. A potion made from your own hair is better proof of identity than a magic map," said Hermione.

"My map doesn't lie," said Remus.

"But it can be destroyed or misplaced," said Hermione. "You better calm Sirius down. I can stay with Harry."

"Miss Tonks is petting her cousin. He's probably sniffed out a spot and fell asleep," said Remus.

Hermione said, "Peter and Sirius learned to be animagi their fifth year, so the spell can't be as hard as the textbooks for have us believe. Are you also an animagus?"

"If I was, I would be an illegal one, so I wouldn't tell you," said Remus. "However, I'm not. I was the voice of reason among the Marauders. They did all the prep work to become animagi behind my back."

Harry asked, "Was my father also an animagus?"

"Yes," said Remus. "A majestic stag."

Hermione laughed. "A deer by any other name."

"He was tall proud with beautiful antlers," said Remus. "Harry, don't let anyone else see you like this."

"It's Inus," said Harry. "I'm only using a potion that will fade in few minutes."

"Made by your own hair," said Remus. "Hermione, I can stay with him."

Hermione kissed Harry's cheek. "I enjoyed the party."

xxxx

On Saturday, Mrs. Quirrell came to the school. Harry and Hagrid were playing fetch with Sirius and Fang. Hagrid threw one ball which Fang caught mid-air. Hagrid threw the other ball a bit softer for Sirius. Hagrid was petting Fang for bringing back the ball when Mrs. Quirrell huffed making her presence known.

"Mum, you know Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys."

"Ma'am, it's a pleasure as always," Hagrid said, taking the striped ball from Sirius's mouth.

Mrs. Quirrell made another huff.

"Mum, the Great Dane is Fang," said Harry. "The mutt is Remus's dog, Snuffles."

A man appeared in the black mutt's place. He was washed and well-groomed. His clothes looked pressed and he had the aristocratic good looks the Blacks were known for. The more than a fortnight Sirius spent in Hogwarts had made him lose that gaunt prison look because Remus had fed him sausages and cakes. Sirius bowed in Mrs. Quirrell's direction. "Sirius Black," he said, mid-bow. "You had tea with my mum. I heard she died while I was in prison."

"Do you expect me to shake your hand?" she asked.

"I was cleared of all charges." Sirius stood. "Your son and I are friends."

Hagrid said, "Fang an' I can play withou' yeh. Go talk ter yehr mum."

Harry put an arm around his mother. "We can talk in my rooms - out of the cold."

"You only wrote me twice," said his mother. "And the first letter was to say you arrived safely."

"I've been very busy."

Sirius had returned to being a dog and barked at Hagrid to throw the ball.

"And you don't have five minutes to post your mum." She shook her head at Sirius. "No wonder his mother disowned him."

"I don't know what to write you and I feel silly only writing that I'm learning a lot and very busy teaching my classes." Harry gave his mum his sweetest smile. Since his left cheek was missing some muscle, his smile was lopsided.

"I prefer reading good news," she said.

"I'll post you a letter each week. You can learn all about my boring life." Harry took her by the hand to lead her to his room. "Mum, we have to walk a bit."

"I forget you're not him," she said.

"I don't mind." Harry smiled.

"You better be home for winter holidays."

"Can we make Christmas pies?" Harry asked.

"We can do anything you want."

"I don't have any opportunity to bake at Hogwarts." Because the house elves wouldn't let him in the kitchen even to fetch something for evening tea. With them, it was all "Yes, sir" and "Anything you be wanting, sir."

She put a hand on his arm. "I want you to know how proud I am of you. Returning to work immediately, making new friends. It couldn't have been easy."

"It's getting easier."

"Do you have to pal around with that mutt?"

"It's my life. That mutt is Harry Potter's godfather. He needs friends, too - ones that won't judge him for spending more than half his time as a canine."

"In my heart, you're still my little boy."

"I'm twenty-eight." Harry didn't recall receiving a birthday card from her. "You didn't post me a card."

"I didn't know if it would be appropriate."

"Calling is nicer. Just don't insult my choice in friends."

"You're an adult. I would never disown you because of your choice of friends. Mrs. Black was a bitter woman who tried to control everyone and everything. In the end, she was left alone, except for that horrid house elf of hers."

"Sirius doesn't talk about his mum or much else," said Harry. "I tell myself that he runs, plays and wags his tail because he's happy. Sometimes, I wonder why he isn't that happy human."

"You don't sound twelve," said Mrs. Quirrell.

"I just turned twenty-eight." He said the password for his room then invited her inside. The door slammed shut behind them. "I need to fix the hinges - old castle. Rube has these thestrals. They live in the forbidden forest and pull the school carriages to which I told Rube that the carriages pull themselves. He asks me if I've seen death between now and then, and I say no. Your son has seen death. I'm looking at the world through his eyes."

"Your soul saw my son's dead body."

"My soul was blindly pulled into his body when Madame Pomfrey restarted his heart. Souls don't have eyes. Ghosts have eyes, but they see differently than living eyes." The world was a hazy multi-layered thing to a ghost. Their world was as transparent as they were and they could see through things mortals saw as solid.

"I don't want a lecture on Dark Arts." She sat on his sofa.

"I won't give you one." Harry pulled the one chair in the room away from his desk and turned it toward the sofa before sitting down. "You're my mum, not a student. What I'm trying to say is everything your son has experienced is hard-wired in my brain. I can't decode it directly, but I have glimpses."

"I want to take your scars away and make it all better."

"I gave him these scars. My other mother, Harry's mother, sacrificed herself for me. Dumbledore says magic that powerful leaves a trace." Harry looked at Mrs. Quirrell. "Her love was so strong it burns someone as evil as Voldemort."

"You burned my son."

"Only because Voldemort was inside him," said Harry. "I met your son at The Leaky Cauldron. He shook my hand for at least five minutes. It could have been longer. He seemed very excited to meet the Boy Who Lived. Excited and anxious. When Dumbledore tried to give me my body back, I had to touch Potter and I burned him because this time Voldemort was in that body."

"You didn't say your body."

"I'm Inus Quirrell. I'm going to have this body until I die. Wanting what you can't have leads to insanity. Dumbledore talked about men staring at the Mirror of Erised for hours, days or longer."


	24. Winter Holiday

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Winter Holiday**

Harry flooed to the Quirrell house for winter holidays. Dumbledore said Voldemort would be dealt with while Harry spending Christmas with his mum. He had a good time lighting the tree and baking pies and biscuits. The Dursleys had Christmas, but he had always felt like an unwelcome guest.

When he returned to school, Sirius changed into human and hugged him. "I'm so sorry," Sirius cried. "I had to maul him. He was fleeing the dementors. If I gave him a chance to lift his wand, Remus and I would have been killed instantly."

"AK is very fast," said Remus. "Sirius had no choice but to pull him onto the ground."

"How bad?" asked Harry. That body had been his for first eleven years. He needed to know.

"I'm a heavy dog and I have a lot of anger in me." Sirius had left Harry's arms and was sitting on the floor at Remus's feet. His face resting against Remus's chest and Remus was absently petting Sirius soft fine black hair. Tears were running down Sirius's face. "I've been in prison a long time for a crime I didn't commit. James was like a brother to me and people thought I had something to do with his death. Never."

Sirius was obviously too upset to talk.

Harry put his hand on Sirius's back and started to rub it. "You did nothing wrong. Remus, can you tell me what happened?"

Remus motioned for Sirius to sit on the sofa, but he refused. Sirius walked across the sitting room, found a spot on the carpet and sat down. Remus watched Sirius settle down on the floor before speaking, "Dumbledore asked me to take Potter out to the Forbidden Forest. He didn't want dementors near the school. I told Potter that I noticed that he was bored in class and asked him would he like to do some extra credit. Snuffles walked along side us when he wasn't digging up weeds. We just reached the forest. We hadn't gotten to the designated spot, yet, when Potter made a run for it. He must have sensed the dementors. Snuffles jumped him and mauled his face and neck pretty badly."

"Sirius, you didn't do anything wrong." Harry looked at Sirius sitting on the floor. "I noticed you never sit on the sofa, even when it is only you and Remus."

"I belong on the floor," said Sirius.

"You aren't a dog," said Harry.

"Remus is my alpha," Sirius explained. "He smells good. Smells better when I'm a dog. He smelled you like your hair. James and Lily. After his body was dead I licked his face and sniffed him. He smelled like you, only all the way down."

Kneeling, Harry put his arms around Sirius. "I smell like James and Lily." Sirius, a large man, was sitting down with hands and feet touching the carpet. This psychologically damaged man was Harry's godfather. The wild look in his eyes was due to over a decade in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

"The oil from your hair and skin reminds me of James," said Sirius. "I didn't recall your mother's scent until I smelled his dead body. All these years, people thought I killed James and Lily. I smelled them in that dead boy. I really killed them."

"You didn't. They're alive in me." Harry rubbed Sirius's back. "They're alive in you and Remus."

Sirius rubbed his shoulder with his cheek. "I don't want to be on the sofa or walking on two legs. The perspective is all wrong. I know where I belong - on the floor. You worry about being Inus."

After giving Sirius a brief squeeze, Harry sat down beside Remus on the sofa. "How long does he spend as human each day?"

"Two or three hours," Remus explained. "Sometimes, after good sex, he'll forget to change back to a dog before falling off to sleep. His clothes change with him, so I wash and dress him while he's human."

"Sirius, you're a human being," said Harry. "Remus doesn't own you. You don't need to sit at his feet."

Sirius returned to being a dog and barked at Remus.

"Changing into a dog doesn't prove me wrong. It just means you're stubborn. Remus, take him for a walk. You wouldn't want him to wizz on your carpets. I'll talk to my godfather later." Harry left Remus's rooms. Harry had learned from Mrs. Quirrell that Sirius had inherited his parents' home, which came complete with house elf. Sirius could become a man of leisure if he wanted, but he'd rather be someone's pet.

Harry went to see Dumbledore. His old body was dead. He couldn't return to it. He would be Quirrell for the rest of his life. Voldemort was now dead. Harry couldn't tell the Dursleys he was Harry, but at the same time, the loss of a child (even an unwanted child) wouldn't be easy for them.

"Inus, come in," said Dumbledore before Harry knocked. The old man probably had a spy hole along the stairs to his office.

Harry closed the door behind him. "My godfather just got out of Azkaban. I couldn't bare to see him go back."

"He won't go back." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "The aurors are reporting it as a wild animal attack. Everyone who saw the map can swear Sirius killed Voldemort. It won't come to that, though."

"It better not," said Harry. "He's been through enough."

"Is that all?" asked the old man.

"I don't have to pretend to be a dead bloke now that Voldemort can't harm me or my family. Would it be possible for me to attend class next year? I would finish out teaching this year, of course."

"I don't think the other students would be comfortable having a former professor in their classes. Would you care for a toffee?"

"I don't want sweets."

"Since you no longer need to learn astral projection, you can be tutored in Potions once a week. Since Remus teaches your post OWL classes, your education and teaching combined adds up to the same amount of hours that my other professors put in."

"You're a slave driver." Harry didn't get along with Severus. An hour or two of scheduled torture a week was just what he needed. He had to learn Potions, but Severus made his skin crawl.

"You get a salary comparable to muggle public school teachers, you have nice rooms and all the food you can eat. You only need to buy your clothes. You aren't going to get a better deal." Dumbledore looked at the young man standing by his door. "Inus, do you have blue jeans and trainers on under your robes?"

"Yes," said Harry. "It's Winter Holiday till tomorrow."

"Did you enjoy your holiday?"

"Yes, sir. Mum and I decorated a live tree. She bought it while I was at Hogwarts, but she says we can pick one out together next year. A few of her friends called on her Christmas morning, but other than that, Mum and I spent the holiday alone."

"Since you aren't the head of any house, you can go home every weekend if you like."

"No can do." Harry folded his arms over his chest. "I have lessons on Sunday."

"Inus, I'm sorry if I'm hard on you. I forget that mentally you're only twelve. A number of your students have been concerned about your possession and subsequent amnesia. I want to you talk to your classes. Explain to them that you're a different person now."

"My private business isn't my students' affair."

"Possession is a dark arts subject. Cover it."

"Will do. Good-bye." Harry left, returned to his room and opened one of his books to read about possession once, again. Dumbledore wanted him to get private lessons from Severus and talk to his classes about being possessed by Voldemort. Taking a long sabbatical was looking good about now.


	25. The Talk

Author's Note: Sorry about Harry's body, but Voldemort wasn't going to give up a young healthy body and, as Remus said, AK is very fast. BTW, I still don't own Harry Potter. After the last chapter, you are, probably, glad of that.

xxxx

**The Talk**

Harry decided to give the talk to his second year Gyffindor/Slytherin class first because Hermione, Ron and Neville knew he was Harry Potter, so he wouldn't be surrounded by enemies. He said to the class, "You won't be needing to open your books today. We are going to talk about what happened last year since you all have questions. You-Know-Who possessed Harry Potter's body, as you all must have read by now."

Neville looked at him like he wanted to raise his hand.

"Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to talk to you about me being possessed by You-Know-Who. He stole my body, but the actual possession lasted less than a minute, probably a few seconds, but the pain made it feel like it lasted for hours," said Harry. "I have a bad habit of rambling. Back to the subject at hand, I have a cauldron on my desk with pre-prepared Polyjuice Potion. Would someone like to pull a hair from my head?"

Hermione raised her hand.

"Someone other than Miss Granger," said Harry. "If someone asked her to jump off the top of the Tower Bridge, she would."

"I would not," Hermione said indignantly.

Neville, Draco and Lavender raised their hands.

"Mr. Malfoy, I know you have no ulterior motives. One strand only. Put it in the pre-made Polyjuice Potion. Magic doesn't lie."

Draco pulled out a single hair root and all and stirred it into the potion.

When Draco done, Harry used a spell to cool the potion. "Mr. Malfoy, you may return to your seat. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Draco bowed a bit before going to his seat.

"Normally when someone takes Polyjuice Potion made with their own hair nothing happens," said Harry. "As Mr. Ronald Weasley had pointed out, my hair has some odd properties, which you are about to discovery."

Lavender Brown raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Brown," said Harry.

"It grew over He-who-shall-not-be-named's face overnight if the stories are to be believed," said Lavender.

"Mr. Malfoy is about to learn why it isn't a good idea to impersonate people." Harry filled a ladle and lifted it to his mouth. "You never know what you are getting into. I'll probably be fired over this, so tits up." He drank from the ladle. The best tasting thing in that brew was most likely his hair that didn't say much for the stewed lacewings or the knotgrass. The potion took because his shoes were tighter and his vision blurred.

Millicent Bulstrode yelled, "Mr. Potter." Even blurry, she looked a bit like a hag, probably her mother's side. The Bulstrodes were a proper wizard family. At least, Mrs. Marigold Quirrell felt they were, and Mrs. Quirrell read the magazines and listened to gossip.

"Yes, I'm Mr. Potter," said Harry.

Millicent said, "Then, who died with your wife since you have been pretending to be Professor Quirrell all these years?"

"I'm Harry Potter," said Harry. "James was my father."

"Harry is my age," said Millicent.

"Voldemort was in my body when he died," explained Harry. "I was pushed out of my own body when I fought with Voldemort and the original Professor Quirrell. This body is twenty-eight years old. A potion made from my own hair isn't going to make me any younger. As you can see, the scars on my face haven't vanished."

"You're Harry Potter," said Seamus.

"I was hoping since Voldemort is dead I could return to being a student, but Dumbledore wants me to continue the charade." Harry put the cauldron and ingredients on floor then sat on his desk, facing his students. "He'll now have to deal with my bit of pre-teen rebellion."

Pansy raised her hand.

Harry said, "You don't need to raise your hand. I'm a second year like you are. The farce is over."

"You don't look twelve," said Pansy.

"Either does Millicent," said Harry. "Muggles probably think she is old enough to drive. My nurse told me I wasn't any bigger than a seventeen-year-old boy. Miss Granger, you're the expert on such things. Would you and the other Gyffindors want to sit here until Dumbledore comes to us?"

Hermione said, "I'm all for a sit-in."

"What's a sit-in?" asked Ron.

"It's a form of protest. We move the desks to the side and we sit in a circle," said Hermione.

"We still have some Slytherins to entertain for the rest of the class," said Harry.

Pansy said, "I don't get it. If you're a second year, how did you teach our class and the others?"

"I read the textbooks and Professor Quirrell left good notes before he died," said Harry. "I also have Professor Quirrell's brain, which is better than any notebook."

"The map said you're Harry Potter," said Neville.

"Yes, I'm Harry, but this is Quirrell's body. A bit of magic doesn't hide that fact," explained Harry. "A brain is an organ just like a lung or kidney."

"Quirrell's soul must have left his body before you entered it," said Draco. "You couldn't have pushed an adult wizard from his body. Body theft takes powerful magic."

"Yes, his soul left his body with his memories," said Harry. "Every time I teach a class or read a book, I'm rewiring my brain, making new connections to his old connections. That puts me in an odd position. If Dumbledore allows me to return to class, everything I'm taught will feel like review unless we cover something Quirrell missed."

"Who would teach Defence Against Dark Arts?" asked Pansy.

"I'm hoping Professor Lupin will," said Harry.

Hermione laughed. "Professor Kettleburn was looking forward to retiring."

Harry stood up. "That isn't my problem." A bell sounded. "Anyone who wants can go to his or her own class. Since Dumbledore hasn't fired me yet, I can still give out points. Mr. Malfoy, fifty points for Slytherin for your help with the potion. Miss Granger, twenty-five points for Gryffindor for knowing what a sit-in is. I enjoyed teaching you. Thank you."

The Slytherins left as his next class entered.

A fourth year, Michael Finkel, asked, "Who are you?"

"He's Harry Potter," said Hermione, getting between Mr. Finkel and Harry.

"He's dead," said Michael Finkel.

"You-Know-Who stole my body. Dumbledore wants me to continue to pretend to be Professor Quirrell. I understood that I needed to be Quirrell while Voldemort was alive, but that is no longer the case. A bright man told me I need to be me." Harry smiled at his own bad pun. Sirius was Latin for bright.

"You aren't Professor Quirrell," said Miss Chan, another fourth year.

"My face - magic," said Harry. "Mr. Malfoy pulled out a strand of my hair and made Polyjuice Potion. People aren't always who they seem - your last lesson from me. I'm resigning."

Miss Chan said, "Your hair shouldn't change you into another man. Polyjuice Potion doesn't work like that."

"Body theft can throw a widget into the engine," said Harry. "From what I understand, I have Quirrell's body, Potter's soul and Potter's magic. I may have changed into Potter's form, even if I didn't have funny hair because I have Potter's magic. The result of this potion shall fade in a few minutes, and I shall look like Quirrell, again."


	26. Dumbledore

Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does.

xxxx

**Dumbledore**

Dumbledore came into the classroom. The desks were no longer in straight rows like soldiers but in clusters for easy chatting. Harry was sitting at a student's desk talking to Ron, Hermione and Neville.

"Is anyone teaching this class?" asked Dumbledore.

Hermione said, "You can teach it if you like."

Harry looked like Quirrell, again. Good thing too, his shoes fit and his trousers weren't floods. Seeing clearly was also nice. "I'm staging a sit-in."

"Why?" Dumbledore asked.

"Because I want to attend school with my mates," said Harry. "I was willing to finish out the year, but you pushed the issue."

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Longbottom, do you want him back in your dorm?" asked Dumbledore.

"Tonight," said Ron.

Harry smiled. "My godfather can buy me school uniforms this weekend."

"Tonight is good," said Neville.

"I haven't agreed," said Dumbledore.

"I'm twelve years old," said Harry. "I shouldn't be teaching class. My godfather was cleared of all charges. I can stay with Sirius and Remus on my holidays. Either I'm an adult and can take my apparation test tomorrow or I'm a child and need to wait five years. Sir, you can't have it both ways."

"You can take your test tomorrow," said Dumbledore.

"Then I'll pack my trunk and go home," said Harry. "I'm still resigning either way."

Neville spoke, "Let Harry go to school."

"Done," said Dumbledore. "Remus Lupin can take over your classes. I'll have Hagrid help Professor Kettleburn teach Care of Magical Creatures until I can get a new professor. Happy?"

"What's done, Sir?" asked Neville.

"Harry can go to school," said Dumbledore.

"Thank you, Sir," said Hermione.

xxxx

After using a feather-light charm to move his trunk to the Gryffindor second year boys' dorm, Harry changed into a tee shirt and blue jeans. The three-piece suits could gather dust for a few years.

"Better?" Harry asked his dorm mates.

"You look like a university student," said Dean Thomas.

"I have a twenty-eight year old body," said Harry. "My original body was killed with Voldemort. I think I'm a young looking twenty-eight."

"I don't get it," said Seamus. "You teach class on Monday and attend class Tuesday."

"I won't be attending class until Wednesday. Sirius and I have to get uniforms tomorrow. Dumbledore says I can't attend class in my street clothes," Harry said. "We also have to buy everything else I need for class. After the Dursleys buried my old body, they collected all my belongings."

"Seeing how much they loved magic, they probably burned and/or disposed of everything by now," said Ron.

McGonagall knocked on the door. "Are you boys decent?"

"We're twelve year old boys," said Seamus. "When are we ever decent?"

"May I come in?" asked McGonagall.

Neville grabbed Trevor and him back in his terrarium. "Now."

Professor McGonagall entered the room then sat on Harry's bed. "Harry, once you get your uniforms, you may want to put the overflow in Professor Lupin's rooms."

"Thank for that suggestion after I carried everything up those stairs," said Harry.

"I should have listened to you before," said McGonagall. "You really are Harry."

"It took me pulling a hair out of my head and doing magic on it to get Dumbledore to listen," said Harry.

"Malfoy pulled it out of your head," said Neville. "He's a big Know-it-all."

Harry stood by his bed because he wasn't going to sit by McGonagall. "Quirrell attended school not all that long ago and then taught here. Can you remember I'm not him?"

Minerva McGonagall smiled. "Professors Snape and Flitwick manage. I expect you to learn everything that we covered. You need help; ask. Snape will be less forgiving."

"Snape hates me only a little less than he hates Remus," said Harry.

"What you did took courage," said McGonagall. "Not many people can stand up to Dumbledore."

"I told Sirius that I was messing my life up and I needed advice - only I didn't use those words. He told me one thing: I need to be me. I plan to use the next five years to find out who I am."

McGonagall got up. "Good luck. Good-bye, boys." She left the room.

Harry returned to reading _The Fellowship of the Ring_, Neville took his toad out of his terrarium, Dean started drawing his latest comic, and Seamus and Ron exchanged trading cards. The toad landed on Ron's Morgan le Fay. Harry didn't miss the quiet of having his own room. Ron was screaming, Neville was chasing Trevor and Dean was protecting his latest masterpiece. Well, he didn't miss it that much.

xxxx

After buying his uniforms, books, a cauldron and other school supplies, Harry visited Mrs. Quirrell. Hugging her, he said, "I'm going by Harry Potter now, so I don't know if I can still call you Mum."

She hugged him back. "Always."

Harry let go of her. "You remember Sirius."

"On two legs today," she commented.

"I'm Harry's guardian now." Sirius smiled. He still didn't rate high on the sanity because he whinged that he killed James and Lily due to letting Peter be Secret-Keeper. He claimed he didn't deserve to sit on the sofa or eat at the table.

"Will you be staying with Sirius this summer?" asked Mrs. Quirrell.

"I can stay with you until Sirius and Remus fix up their house," said Harry.

"You had him for Christmas," said Sirius.

"Mum, next year, I'm taking Care of Magical Creatures and Divination," said Harry. "Seeing that Quirinus took Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, I will be covering new ground. I'm looking forward to all my classes, even Potions."

"Mr. Black, you're Harry's guardian. I wouldn't think of imposing," said Mrs. Quirrell.

"He can stay with you," said Sirius. "My mum died while I was in prison. I have an estate to handle and I see Harry all year."

"I feel so wanted." Harry gave Sirius his best pout.

"I want you to stay with us," said Sirius. "It just that there is all this dust and you have your health problems. Remus and I will be cleaning the place, having contractors in. Mrs. Quirrell has a nice house and can use the company."

"Harry, you always have a home with me," said Mrs. Quirrell. "Let's not stand in the foyer. You boys could use some tea."

"Mum, you can call me Quirinus. I never had a mother before I met you. I don't remember being your son, but I feel it in here." Harry pointed to his heart. "Sirius was appointed Harry's godfather, so he is responsible for guiding Harry's soul, but, Mum, you gave birth to my body. You always will be part of my life."

Mrs. Quirrell led them to the kitchen. "Quirinus, we should talk about your father."

Sirius sat at the table. After taking his own chair, Harry looked at Sirius in the eye. His fathomless blue eyes like a cloudless sky gave out nothing. Hopefully, Sirius would have one of his saner moments. Mrs. Quirrell didn't take anything thing less than proper table manners at her table.

"He's a Death Eater." Harry didn't want to assume, but the clues were there.

Mrs. Quirrell started the kettle. "Yes, he's in prison, a foreign prison, not Azkaban."

xxxx

After a morning of classes, Harry sat in Potions beside Parvati Patil. While the other students were getting seated, Severus said, "Mr. Quirrell, I received the owl from Dumbledore that you are to attend my class. However, since you received Outstanding on your Potions' N.E.W.T., I will not be testing you."

Harry stared at the greasy-haired professor.

"Dumbledore wants you to attend my class, so be it. Please, limit how much you assist my students. Longbottom gets enough assistance from Miss Granger," said Severus. "That said, it's your cauldron and your ingredients. Let's get started with today's lesson."

Harry opened his book and got started. The text seemed familiar, and as he prepared his ingredients, it was like his eyes, his hands and his fingers knew they had made this potion before. While he watched his potion simmer, he kept himself from assisting Neville. He didn't want to cause trouble his first day.

After Harry's first full day of attending class, Dumbledore meet Harry at the Gyffindor common room. "How are you getting on?" asked the old man.

"Good," said Harry. "I'm remembering to call my professors by their last names. Remus says he's my godfather-in-law, so I can call him Remus outside class. Quirrell must have slept through history like everyone else. Binns didn't give me that deja vu feeling."

"Good, good, good." Dumbledore's eyes had that twinkle. "Would you like to teach after you get your N.E.W.T's?"

Harry laughed. "Kettleburn will have kittens if you don't find a permanent instructor by then. My N.E.W.T's are five years away. Ask me then. You may not have any openings."

"Positions open all the time," said Dumbledore.

"Sir, talk to me then." Harry walked over to Ron and sat down. "Would you like to play draughts?"

"Sure, everyone asks me to play chess all the time," said Ron. "It is so last year."

Harry smiled. At the end of last year, Ron nearly died beating McGonagall's giant chess set. Ron told him how Dumbledore awarded Gryffindor fifty points. Harry wouldn't ask to play chess against Ron. However, if Ron offered, that was another story.

"We can play Backgammon next?" said Harry.

The End

Author's Note: The story isn't over. Harry is just a second year and Sirius is still adjusting to life as a free man. I'm working on a sequel. RL is getting me down right now. Encouragement is welcome at this moment. Thank you.


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